The Gryffindor Five: Year One
by Melissitchka
Summary: The other side of The Marauders: Year One. Excuse the absolutely horrible html markup (or lack thereof) at the moment, I do plan on making this more presentable... eventually.
1. Hogwarts, Acid Pops & Quidditch

    Right then, well… I suppose I'm making the first entry in here. I guess I'd best identify myself. This is Lily. Evans, you know. Well, you all know. And you, well, you're a best friends diary, so I don't know which of the others will open this first. Rebecca gave one to myself and Alice for Christmas and she has one also. The instructions are a bit perplexing, apparently I can use you as a real diary, but if I get together with Becca and Alice, we can pick a password and use this to communicate with each other. For now though, I suppose I'd best pick a password, there's a prompting for it on the front flap that's glowing red. The instruction book says it will grow red until I pick a word to act as my password and then it will turn green. Apparently anyone can read what I write until I start using a password and that just won't do. Who knows what the Marauder's would do if this fell into their hands. There's another prompting below that one for a group password. I'd best discuss that with Alice and Becca first, so I guess I'll make this entry a private one. Hold on a bit.  
    Right then, my password for myself is Hogwarts. I'd best remember that one, shouldn't be difficult.   
    Now I'll begin my first official entry. My name is (still) Lily Evans and I'm a witch. How wicked is that? I only learned this past July. My family is made up of Muggles, so it was a bit of a shock. Fortunately, Mum and Dad took to it well enough and let me come off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, to learn how to be a proper witch. Petunia… well, she wasn't as happy. But nevermind her. I get to take all kinds of classes like Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms, that's my favorite. There are other classes too, of course, and we get to take even more classes when we start Third Year. How exciting! I really can't wait! The other day I overheard the professor's talking that they might make Care of Magical Creatures, one of my regular classes, one of those electives that you begin during your Third Year. I hope they don't make that change until we've already reached Third Year, most of the time, I rather like that class.   
    I mentioned Rebecca and Alice above. They're two of my best friends here. Rebecca Longbottom gave both Alice and I these diaries for Christmas. They both left to go home yesterday for the holidays. Oh my, hold on a bit.   
    Wicked. Just as I was talking about Rebecca an owl from her house just turned up in my dorm room (that's where I'm sitting right now, I'll tell you all about it in a bit). She sent a note saying that it'd be so much quicker to use our diaries instead of owls to communicate over the break and if I didn't mind, how about we use the word Gryffindor for our group password. I sent her back a reply with her owl saying that that was fine and I'd wait for a confirmation from her that Alice agreed too before I wrote it in.   
    Anyway, let me tell you about my friends. I'll finish up with Rebecca. I met her on the Hogwarts Express, she let me sit with her and her brother, Frank. They were talking about how their mum had just taken to wearing really weird hats. Their descriptions were so funny, I was in fits. It was a very nice trip actually. She's a pretty good student, which is good because I go a bit… well, nutters, when it comes to my grades at times. She's very pretty too, but I don't think she notices it and she really loves sports. I catch her and Peter Pettigrew talking about Football and Rugby sometimes, which, seeing as how I'm Muggle born, I know of… just not much about it. She's dying to go out for the Quidditch team next year and I bet she makes it too.   
    My other super best friend is Alice Smith. She can be a bit of a ditz at times, which I guess sounds a little mean, but I don't mean it that way. It's good for me, I think. I'm a bit too serious at times. She always makes me calm down when I'm in a studying fit. She always worries about her looks, which I guess I can understand a bit and all, but I'm not too girly most of the time. Nowhere near as not girly as Mel, but… well, I'll tell you about her in a bit. She's sort of chubby and she dwells on that too much, but I actually think she's quite pretty. Cortessa told her once that she reminds her of the way angels should look and I think she hit it right on the head. Alice does remind me of an angel most of the time.   
    Cortessa Maris and Melissa Denezyuk are my other two dorm mates and they're dear friends too. I suppose the only reason that the three of us are slightly closer to one another than to them is because they're so close already. The two of them knew one another before Hogwarts. Melissa's mum is a witch, but her dad is a Muggle and she was raised like one. Her mum didn't even tell her dad until Mel's letter from Hogwarts came. Melissa still chuckles when she talks about her dad's reaction. Tessa has been Melissa's next door neighbor and best friend since they were just about born, but Tessa's from an entirely Muggle family, like me. Neither of them expected they'd be here, I suspect. Talk about two opposites though! Tessa spends hours getting ready every morning, it's insane. I sometimes think she's mad. She likes to flirt with all the boys too, I swear, she'd happily live with her head in the clouds. I actually suspect she's got a bit of a crush on Sirius Black, a boy who is an entry in his own right (well, perhaps not entirely his own… but like I said, another matter completely). And then there's Melissa, who doesn't seem to care a lick about her own looks. I think she could be really pretty if she ever tried, but she doesn't seem to make an effort and I happen to agree with her. I think there's a time and a place for that kind of fuss, but everyday lessons certainly isn't one of them. Mel, however, believes there is never a time of a place for such fuss. I suspect that if Hogwarts ever had a Ball, we'll have to hog tie Melissa to get her into dress robes and then kidnap her to get her to the actual event… which could actually wind up being an amusing time.   
    Everyone here seems to think that I'm a bit of a constantly studying know-it-all, but the four of them know that I'm not always. Admittedly, most of the time, yes, but sometimes I just get these wicked ideas that are far too much fun to pass up.   
    For instance, a few weeks ago I was walking down one of the corridors with- oh dear, Remus is hollering up the steps for me to come and get some dinner with him. I'll tell you all about what happened a few weeks ago when I get back.   
        Love from,   
            Lily  


**Acid Pops**

  
  
    Hmmm… a diary. Well this is quite a cool gift. I've already picked my password- Acid Pops. I don't think Melody will guess it, since she gave me one a few years ago and it burnt a hole right through my tongue… oh, mother was so mad. It should be nice having a private diary to tell everything to and that I can use to talk with Lily and Becca whenever I want. Or well, I suppose when they've got to have their diaries open too, or maybe it's like mail. Well… we'll see. I just sent Becca's owl back to her house saying Gryffindor would be a fine group password, but I have to wait for her owl back that Lily agreed also.  
    Where does one begin with a diary? I guess at the beginning. I'm Alice Smith. What a horrid name, don't you think? It's so… plain. Like me. But anyway… my friend Cortessa once told me I looked like an angel. I think she's nutters. But anyway… My best friend Rebecca Longbottom gave me you. She gave Lily one just like it. Lily Evans is my other best friend. We all go to Hogwarts, but I'm home for Christmas holidays. My twin sister Melody goes to Hogwarts too. She's in Hufflepuff though. I'm a Gryffindor. I wonder why sometimes, I'm really not very brave. I don't think I'll ever have enough courage to amount to much of anything sometimes… but maybe that old hat knows more than I do. I think it's a good thing we would up in different houses, we fight a lot. I love Mellie and all, but does drive me mad and I her at times. We're so different despite being twins. You know, I was so surprised at the number of twins in my year. Three different sets that I know of! Myself and Melody are the only two split into different houses though. Rebecca and her brother Frank are both in Gryffindor. Poor Frank, he had to room with the Marauders. No wonder he opted to find best friends in different houses. He's such a sweet boy, always nice to me. I was homesick during the first few days and one day it was just too much. I ran out to sit by the lake and have a good cry and Frank found me. He didn't run away like most boys do, he just sat with me and started talking after a bit, trying to distract me I suspect. But maybe he's most used to girls, all those years being around Becca and all. The other set are these two positively dreadful witches in Slytherin, ugh. I think they might be Sirius Black's sisters or something because that's their last name too. If they are, I can see why he never mentions them.   
    Anyway, oh, what was I going to say? I've lost my train of thought. Oh, mum is calling me. I'd best go, I think she wants me to do dishes. The Muggle way… honestly, like we need Muggle Studies lessons in our home now during the holidays. How dreadful.   
        Always,   
             Alice   


**Quidditch**

  
  
    I bought you more to communicate with the others, but I guess it won't hurt to write in you for a bit while I wait for their replies about our password. I'm Rebecca Longbottom and I'm eleven, but I'll be twelve in February. I'm waiting for my brother Frank to finish his dinner. I swear, the boy eats unbelievably slowly sometimes. When he finishes, we're going to head over to a clearing back through our woods. A few other witches and wizards live nearby with kids our age and we try to get pick up games of Quidditch going on there. It's not too cold out, so we might find some of them there. I'm a bit nuts about sports really. Next year, I can try out for the Quidditch team and I intend to. I'm either going to go out for Beater or Chaser I think, but I'm not decided yet. So many people are leaving the team this year. It's very exciting. Right, well. I'm going to go bother Frank and try to get him to dump that massive mound of peas into the potted plant on the table so we can get going. Hopefully next time I open you I can talk with Lily and Alice.   
            -Rebecca  


**Hogwarts**

  
  
    I just got back a reply owl from Becca. Gryffindor is definitely going to be our group password, although I'm a bit worried now. It's pretty simple to figure out if any of us loose our diaries. I doubt that I will, but Alice… well. We'll see I guess. Come to think of it, I suppose Hogwarts isn't all that original either, but I'll just try to keep anyone from taking you.   
    I just got back from working on some homework in the Common Room with Remus Lupin. He's such a nice boy, even if he is sick all the time. It looks like he's coming down with a cold again and right before Christmas, too. How dreadful. He and I are the only two Gryffindors who decided to stay over the break. Mum and dad are arguing again so I thought it might be nicer here. Especially as Petunia and I… well. Anyway.   
    I was going to tell you about the Seventh Years before, wasn't I? Well, they made some sort of rude comment about me the other day in the Common Room when I'd snapped at them while I was trying to do my homework (I did mention that I'm a bit nutters about my work… didn't I?). When I walked past them they… well, they called me an insufferable know-it-all and there is nothing I hate more than that! So… I decided to get them back. Melissa still swears to this day that a strange gleam came into my eye and it was like I was possessed. She's usually the trouble maker in our group. I swear, that girl is going to be the death of me. I spend half my days waiting for her to get caught and I'm sure I'm going to be pegged as an accomplice when she is, even though (usually) I'm not.  
    At any rate, I pinched a few ingredients from Potions class and created a sort of shrinking dust. Then I got the other four girls (that lunatic Sirius Black calls us the 'Gryffindor five' but I'm pretty sure he doesn't realize that we know it) to help me rig up a Muggle type of prank. We stole (although Melissa likes to emphasize the word _borrowed_ in place of stole during such occasions) a bucket from Filch. It was already madness, we'd stolen from two of the scariest people in the school: Professor Nackle and Mr. Filch. So then I rigged it up so that the next person to walk into the Seventh Years girls dorm room would get the contents of the bucket dumped onto them. We filled the bucket with the shrinking dust and ran off to hide and wait. I meant to just get the one girl who called me a know-it-all, but they all walked in at the same time… and to make a long story short, there were five very small Seventh Year girls for a few hours.   
    Well, I need to get some sleep. Remus and I are getting up early to go to the library and finish our vacation homework. Can you believe it? We're already going to be done by the third day of vacation! I think I might study some extra transfiguration. That class worries me so much and on the first day the professor turned her desk into a pig. It was the most wicked thing I've ever seen, I want to learn how to do it.   
        Love from,   
            Lily   


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    Alice? Rebecca? Well, I guess neither of you are here… well, I don't really know how you will be here. Odd, communicating through a book… anyway. If either of you check here…. leave a fun note, alright?   
        Love from,   
            Lily  


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    Lil? I guess it's like letter writing. I don't know what sort of fun note you want. I kicked Frank's butt in Quidditch this evening. We wanted to play a pick up game with a few of the other witches and wizards in the town, but no one else showed up. One on one with Quidditch isn't usually much fun. Studying already, I bet. Don't forget to enjoy the holiday! Are you all alone in the Tower? I really hope not!   
            -Becca  


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    My sister hid my Potions text. I swear I may kill her before the break is over. Fun enough then, Lil? I suppose that's not what you meant. Mum is taking me to see a Muggle ballet over the break. She's nutters about this Muggle obsession of hers. She said a friend of hers from work might join us with his wife. Wisel or Wiggley or something. I don't know. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts and see you guys. The ballet, honestly… I think she's got cobwebs in the attic sometimes.   
        Always,   
            Alice   


**Quidditch**

  
  
    Frank is making fun of me for having a diary. "Don't go all girly on me, Beck, I don't know what I'd do." Well I am a girl, Mr. Smarty Pants. I think it just bothers him more that I might write things in here that I don't tell him. That git, sometimes I just want to smack him upside the head with a broom. Speaking of brooms, there's a new model out on the market called Cleansweeps. Oh Merlin, I'd just die if mum and dad got me one… not that that'll ever happen. "Quidditch! How unbecoming! You're a young lady, Rebecca dear. Now sit up straight." I swear, Mother still lives in the Dark Ages. It's a good thing it's just Frank and I. I feel bad for any other child who would have to deal with those outdated ideas.   
            -Rebecca  


**Hogwarts**

  
  
    Merry Christmas, diary! Today has been really nice. Mum and dad sent back some presents with the owl I'd sent with the last letter. One of them was a book full of Transfiguration tips. I still don't know how they got it. I'll have to ask them next time I owl home. And Petunia sent me a card! It was so nice. I sent her one, but I wasn't really expecting… and she was civil and everything. Maybe this summer won't be so bad after all.  
    This morning I was so excited that it was Christmas that I just forgot myself and ran up into the boys dormitory to wake up Remus. As soon as I shook him awake I realized 'Lily Evans, you are in the _boys_ dormitory, jumping into a _boys_ bed to wake him up. He could be entirely indecent, what are you thinking?' But fortunately, Remus didn't seem to mind and he was entirely decent. Pajamas are perfectly decent, thank you very much and seeing as I was still wearing mine, I figured we were on equal grounds in terms of embarrassment.   
    Anyway, since I realized that Remus and I were the only two left here during break, I decided to try and get him something, but I had no way to really get anything. So, instead I made him a scarf, like the one I made for the girls for Christmas. Oh no, it's not girly or anything, it's the Gryffindor colors and, I mean, I know we've all already got scarves…. but they're the only thing I know how to knit yet. I even managed to put pockets at the end so he can warm his hands. It was a bit messier than the others though, but he seemed to like it. I expect it's at the bottom of his trunk now, but… it really is the thought that counts.   
    What surprised me the most though was that he had a gift for me! He got me a really cool sweatshirt that says Gryffindor on back in yellow writing and it's a red sweatshirt. I've been wearing it all day. It's definitely up there with my favorite gifts received this Christmas, right with you, diary.   
    I feel kind of bad, Remus spent all of today looking right ill and he went to bed really early. What a dreadful way to spend Christmas Day! He even said that if he wasn't in his room in the morning, then he'd probably just gone off to the infirmary and he'd be back in a few days. I hope it's nothing serious. Well, I want to go and wish Alice and Becca a Happy Christmas and write quick notes to Mel and Tessa.   
        Love from,   
            Lily   


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    Happy Christmas, Alice! Happy Christmas, Becca! –L   
  


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    Are you still there Lily? Happy Christmas! And Happy Christmas to you too, Becca! Did you guys get everything you wanted? I got all kinds of cool things. Mum even got me a subscription to _TeenWitch_. I suspect Tessa will be nicking all my copies, but that's still alright. –A   
  


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    Dress robes. –R   
  
    What? –L  
  
    They got me dress robes. They're_pink_. –R   
  
    Oh my. –A   
  
    Frank laughed until I thought he would explode. –R   
  
    Oh no. They didn't get him that broom you wanted. The QuickSweeper? –A   
  
    No. No, actually, as soon as he finished laughing at me he started opening his own gifts, which included two dress robes. Neither of us got a _Cleansweep_, Alice. –R   
  
    Sorry. Cleansweep. Whatever, you know I know as much about brooms as I do about Advanced Arithmancy. –A   
  
    Well… Happy Christmas anyway. –L   
  
    Yea. Happy Christmas to both of you, too. How'd you guys make out? –R   
  
    I was just telling Lily that my mum got me a subscription to _TeenWitch_. –A   
  
    We figure Tessa will just nick all her copies. –L  
  
    Well she can have mine. Can you believe it? My mum got me the same thing. I _wanted_ a subscription to _Quidditch Illustrated_, but noooo, that's 'unbecoming to a lady'. I swear that at this instant there's not a phrase I hate more. Frank did get that, but he promised he'd share. He knows how much I hate the holidays. My mum is such a nutter. -R   
  
    Speaking of nutter mums, I've got that ballet thing to go to tomorrow. Lil, what exactly is that all about? –A   
  
    People dance, lots of music… the music is usually very pretty, but I'd be just as content to buy a record and listen at home. It could be worse though, your mum could've picked the opera. That just goes on positively forever. My dad's got some strange thing about them, always watched them on the telly at home. –L  
  
    Telly? –R  
  
    Television. –L  
  
    What's that? –R   
  
    You need to take Muggle Studies. –L  
  
    Well I can't exactly yet, now can I? Explain, Queen Witch of the Muggles. –R  
  
    I doubt Tessa would appreciate you bestowing that honor upon me without consulting her first. –L  
  
    Last I checked _you_ were top of our class. But we can dispute it when we're all back. Really now, what's this telly thing? –R  
  
    It's a box that puts on shows and movies and stuff. It's for entertainment. It's like going to the ballet, but you can watch it at home. If my mum and dad let me have people over during the summer, I'll show you. –L   
  
    I'd rather watch the ballet at home than go. We have to dress like Muggles too. Mum and I went shopping yesterday. Apparently jeans and T-shirts aren't Muggle like enough for this or somesuch nonsense. –A  
  
    No, the ballet is a classy affair. Did you get a dress? –L  
  
    Yea, it's blue. I actually, rather like it. It's kind of like a short robe, with lots of bows and whatnot. If I could just get Mum to use a severing spell on all these blasted bows… Well, I'm being called to 'put down that book and get into bed young lady, we've got a very fun filled day ahead of ourselves tomorrow'. Hex me, please. –A  
  
    Night then, Alice. Leave us a note all about it tomorrow. –R   
  
    If I don't die of boredom. Yea, sure. Night, girls. –A   
  
    I'd better get to sleep too, Becca. I want to get up early and work on some Transfiguration. –L  
  
    I thought you'd have finished your work by now. –R   
  
    Oh, I have. I just wanted to work ahead a bit. I'll leave a note later. These diaries really were a great gift, Becca. Thanks. Night. –L   
  
    Night, Lily. Happy Christmas! –R  


**Acid Pops**

  
  
    I _hate_ the ballet. Lily was spot on. The music is lovely. I don't own a Muggle record player though… but maybe I'll get one this summer or for my birthday or something. If I asked mum for anything Muggle like she'd probably die of happy shock. But anyway, I am never going to the ballet again. That was worse torture than a tickling charm. And it just went on and on and on… I don't even want to contemplate how long those opera things are if they're longer. Anyway, I'd best get started on my homework. I stole Mellie's Potions book the other day. She can have it back when she returns mine, as I see it.   
        Always,   
            Alice   


**Gryffindor**

  
  
    Ballet = rot. Compete and total rot. –A 


	2. Moo

Hogwarts  
  
I'm rather worried about Remus. He's been gone for two days. I think I'll try and visit him in the infirmary in a bit. I bet those friends of his never even notice how often he's sick. That Sirius Black has his head so far up his own. I'll take a page from Mrs. Longbottom's book and just say that the end of that sentence would've been very unbecoming to a lady. And James Potter is just as bad as he is! That boy gets so mad just because I have higher grades than he does in Charms. The nerve! Maybe if he opened a book and studied once in a while. He and his friends, those dopey 'Marauders' are always in detention. Melissa said they're there more than she is and I find that hard to believe as our entire group is so well acquainted with the Trophy Room that I can already recite every Head Girl in Hogwarts history and I'm beginning to learn the Head Boys. I suppose I shouldn't have called all the Marauders dopey. I mean, Remus is quite nice actually and, when he's not with those other two, he acts very smart. And Peter isn't so bad, he's just very quiet and shy, even more so than Remus. Maybe I should ask Remus about them, there must be some reason why he hangs out with them.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Sorry you didn't like the ballet, Alice. I'm off to go visit Remus in the Hospital Wing. I swear that boy is sicker than anyone I've ever known. -L  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Lily? -R  
  
Lil? -R  
  
Guess you're gone. Is something going on with you and Remus? I was under the impression that all the Marauders gave you a headache. Bye. -R  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Nothing like that, definitely not. And only Potter and Black give me a headache and even that's not all the time. Off to work on that Transfiguration project. -L  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Well, Remus has been back for a few days. He keeps brushing off my questions. I'm really worried about that boy! Everyone comes back tomorrow. Thank goodness, I miss them all. I got an owl from Melissa the other day. Apparently her mother loaded her down with girly gifts too. I don't see the big deal, but I'm sure Becca will appreciate her annoyance. Tessa added a post script that said her parents said Alice, Rebecca and I could probably stay for a week or so that summer, so that will be exciting. Oh goodness, the steps just collapsed, I guess Remus tried to get up here for something. I'd best go explain it all to him. Or perhaps he's actually read Hogwarts: A History. I doubt it.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
It's rather late and I should be sleeping, but I hate traveling. Even something as silly as the Hogwarts Express gets my stomach tied up in knots. I guess I'll try and read a book or something. Melody is out cold in the bed next to me. Amazing how she even manages to irritate me in her sleep sometimes. I've been in a right mood for the last couple of days. It's rather unusual since I'm usually pretty chipper. Ugh, my head and stomach hurt again. Definitely time to just curl up in a ball and read.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Hogwarts  
  
I had a long talk with Remus tonight. He actually made the Marauders sounds like a decent bunch of guys. What a strange way to think of them! He seemed so surprised to realize that most of the First Years have a crush on one of the Marauders (it seemed kind of mean to mention that it's usually just James or Sirius, but every once in a while I hear someone mention Remus -like that Trixie girl in Ravenclaw- and once I even heard one of the Hufflepuff First Years going on and on about Peter). It was an amusing reaction anyway. Boys. Honestly, I swear they're so dense sometimes. He still wouldn't tell me how they wound up with that dopey name. I bet it's a really dull story and that's why they all swore never to tell it. just so it would seem like more than it is. I did learn some useful information though. The next time Sirius Black tries to torture me, I'm just going to 'moooo' and see what happens. ...Avoids milk, honestly. And poor Peter, they made him act like a chicken! I can only imagine what will happen when they all start to figure out animal transfigurations. Although I think the best realization of the amusing type this evening was that James Potter fell off his broom the first time he tried to fly. Maybe I'll remind him of that next time he's showing off in Flying Class. I really don't like that class. It took me until the second class to even get the stupid broom to obey my "Up" command. Remus himself is actually scared of boggarts. but I think I can understand that fear.  
That was all pretty funny and I tried to think of some funny secret to tell him, but I couldn't come up with any and I blurted out how Defense Against the Dark Arts scares me. I thought Remus would laugh, but he didn't. Instead he told me. other stuff. about the Marauders. Can you believe that Sirius Black actually worries about the other three? Doesn't that seem mad to you? He never seems to have a care in the world! And apparently Remus has some sort of. situation. with his parents. Oh, when he said that I just wanted to jump across the room and hug him, but boys don't seem to take to things the way girls do. The poor boy. And then, he said that James is actually uncomfortable when people know he's helping someone. Can you imagine? It seems to me that the boy would make a banner and advertise it to get more attention. At the end of the night, Remus made this crazy analogy that I can't get out of my head. He said that James is the brains of the group and Sirius and he were the hands and feet, getting things done, but Peter is the heart. I thought that was very sweet.  
Oh my, I'm having yawning fits. It's definitely time to get some sleep. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow!  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Gryffindor  
  
I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow! -L  
  
Gryffindor  
  
I officially hate the Hogwarts Express. -A  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Why? -L  
  
Lily! Oh, I just got motion sick again. Madame Pomfry is going to have a field day with me when I get back to school. Ugh. I've got to go. -A  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Poor Alice. -R  
  
Is she okay? -L  
  
I think she'll be a lot better when we get to Hogsmeade. She just took off for the bathrooms. -R  
  
I didn't know she had motion sickness. -L  
  
Me either. But we didn't exactly ride here with her, now did we? I can tell you though, it's going to be a long trip home in June. -R  
  
Lovely. -L  
  
I'm going to go check on her. Talk to you soon, Lil. In person. -R  
  
Right. Bye, then. -L  
  
Acid Pops  
  
I am so happy to be back at school, even if it does mean tons of homework. I hate Potions so much. Stupid Nackle. three feet of parchment for the day after tomorrow! It's the first day back from holidays! Ugh. Tessa and Melissa got another detention today. Mel was reading the Daily Prophet in Potions and Tessa had Becca's copy of TeenWitch. Nackle caught them. I think they're up in the library reshelving all the books. The Slytherins knew about it and went in there and messed up the books even worse. That house is just horrid. Oh dear, I've got to go. Frank said he'd help me out in Herbology. I think maybe I need to write a little more about Frank later, but I've got to go now.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Acid Pops  
  
I just got back from studying with Frank. Rebecca showed up after a bit. I almost wish she hadn't. This is ridiculous. Every time I get near him, I get all giggly. I mean really. I have an eighty something percent average in Herbology, which is perfectly acceptable, but I'm playing dumb so he can tutor me. Whatever possessed me to act that way? I'm such a dolt around him. But he really is so cute. He has this brown hair that looks like it almost needs to be cut, but I really hope he doesn't cut it since it flops into his eyes in the most adorable way. And his eyes. it's like staring into a cup of hot chocolate, they make me feel all gooey. It's insane. He's so slender though. he must think I'm huge. It's hopeless really. Anyway, I have to make sure the other girls don't find out. I think Becca would kill me.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Quidditch  
  
I suspect Frank has lost his mind. Today he and I went down to go get breakfast and after we'd been there for a bit, Alice showed up. Well my idiot brother starts sputtering and turning red. He was barely able to string together a coherent sentence. After about five minutes of this insanity, he excused himself and made a beeline for the Hufflepuff table to sit with his friend Rob. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, so later on in the Common Room, I asked him. You know what he said? "She's very pretty." Now, not that Alice isn't pretty, because she is, but since when is my brother noticing stuff like that? Oh, they'd better not start going out. If Mum hears anything about that I just know she'll get on my case about not having a boyfriend. I swear, brothers can ruin your life.  
-Rebecca  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Sometimes I am convinced that James Potter is a complete and total idiot. The only reason I put up with him at all is for Remus. Today in Charms he set my feather on fire on purpose. If it had been Peter, maybe I would've believed it was an accident, but Potter, yeah right. He could levitate feathers in his sleep. He's impossible! I can't believe that boy, just because I have higher grades than him in one class. I swear, next year, I'm going to beat him in all of them. Grrrr. He just makes me so mad, that insufferable prat.  
Anyway, in far more pleasant news, I aced my Herbology test today. I think it was because of those extra study sessions with Alice. She really knows her stuff in that class. I thought I overheard Frank mention to one of his friends that he was tutoring her in Herbology, but I'm sure I heard wrong. Well, I've got to go. Alice is going to teach me how to play Wizard Chess down in the Common Room.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Alice just kicked my butt from here to Durmstrang in Wizard Chess. Unbelievable. The only time I even came close to taking one of her pieces was when Frank walked into the room. I really think she might like him. Madness, I tell you. I'm still partially convinced that boys have cooties. They're definitely not worth the aggravation. Tessa got on my case again about biting my nails. Really, who cares if they're all ragged? It's not as though I intend to apply to TeenWitch as a hand model or some nonsense. The other day she was going on and on about applying to be a model when she graduated from Hogwarts. What madness! All this education and all she wants to do is try on different cloaks and smile. I'm convinced she's nutters sometimes. All the while she was raving about becoming a model, Melissa had her head buried in the Daily Prophet until she looked up at one point and said "You know, I think I'd rather like to be Minister of Magic or the Prime Minister. Something more like that." They're both nutters. A model and a Minister, I still can't figure out how a bond that consists only of growing up next to each other hasn't snapped under the weight of two people who are just so different. Oh, Mel is trying to get my attention, I'd best stop writing. Oh my, where did Alice and Rebecca even go?  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Melissa wanted to show me another editorial from one of that idiot's supporters. Oh right, you don't know who that idiot it. Voldemort. I hate him and I've never even met him. He wants to make it near impossible for people like Tessa and I to get jobs in the magic world and he even dislikes people like Melissa for having one Muggle parent. The man is batty. I mean, James Potter is a pureblood and I'm far better at Charms than he'll ever be. Oh, those editorial pieces make me so mad.  
I learned something odd from Melissa tonight. Tessa left in the middle of our discussion about Voldemort. She says she hates him and doesn't want to waste any of her breath on such a lunatic. Really though, I think he scares her a bit. If his laws were passed, well. anyway. I pointed out that everyone thinks that her friendship with Tessa is odd. She laughed at me, but our conversation went something like this:  
"Oh, everyone asks us that. They say, don't you think Melissa is dull or don't you think Tessa is slow? That just goes to show how little they know about us."  
"I wouldn't call you dull or Tessa slow."  
"I know, so I guess you know us a bit better than most. But that's exactly it, you know that Tessa is actually very smart then and that she spends as much time reading her texts as she does reading TeenWitch or whatever silly little teeny bopper magazine has her attention this week. And you know that I am queen of the practical jokers, despite the fact that I prefer to read the Daily Prophet or Transfiguration Weekly or The London Times."  
"Still, even knowing you both, that doesn't help me understand how you two are so close. You never seem to be at a lack for things to talk about or do together."  
"Well, it would be exceedingly dull if everyone were like me. I mean, some weird part of my head likes being the one to point out all the current events to the rest of you. I never have to worry about Cortessa knowing a current event unless some well known celebrity witch or wizards were to go berserk and kill people. You know?"  
"No, not really."  
"We get along so well because we're so different. I mean, all that beauty stuff she knows, it's a bit interesting. All the political stuff I know, she finds a bit interesting. But we both love to read, so we'll talk about books, if we want to discuss something. Or classes. I don't know how to explain our friendship really, but I'm firmly convinced that we don't kill one another because we both know life would be far more dull if we didn't have the others company."  
And that was about all we said on that subject, but as I was mulling the words over, I thought there was a bit of truth to it. I mean, I'm a brainiac, Becca is all athletic and Alice is a daydreamer, but we get on just fine. And perhaps it's because I remind us to study and work hard, and Becca reminds up to go out and have some fun, and Alice reminds us to keep on dreaming. They all balance out well. I think I'll stop questioning people's choices in friendship from now on. Well, that's all I've got to get some sleep. The other three are already sleeping and Tessa snores so loud one she gets going, it's hard to fall asleep. I'd best beat her to it.  
  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
Oh my, it's official. I am madly in love with Frank Longbottom. He ate breakfast with Becca and I for a bit a few days ago and for whatever reason, he was all flustered. He's even cute when he's flustered. Oh Merlin, help me. Today in Potions, I'm going to see if I can get him to work with me. I might chicken out, but if I can get Lily to work with Becca then I'll be the one alone and Becca and Frank usually work together. I'm going to leave her a note right now.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Becca, will you work with Lily today in Potions, I think I'm going to be running late. -A  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Sure Alice, Frank can handle working by himself. -R  
  
Quidditch  
  
Frank is so lucky I love him. I mean, I care for Lily to bits, but I hate working with her in class. This had better not become a permanent arrangement.  
-Rebecca  
  
Quidditch  
  
Fantastic, Lily isn't speaking with me since I screwed up out Potion and Frank managed to set his robes on fire somehow. He'll never get Alice that way, unbelievable.  
Lily just climbed through the portrait hole. Nope, still not a word, although she did send me a rather vicious glare. Lovely, just smashing. I'm off to the library.  
-Rebecca  
  
Quidditch  
  
I'm sitting in the library right now with Sirius and James. They're reading over my shoulder. I told them they wouldn't be able to see any of my previous entries if I didn't want them too, but they didn't believe me. Stupid boys.  
They want me to write they don't agree with that last statement of mine.  
Would you two stop reading over my should, it's a bit annoying.  
Ugh. I'll write more later.  
-Rebecca  
  
Acid Pops  
  
Oh my goodness, it worked! I got to work with Frank yesterday in Potions. It was so amazing. My hand actually brushed his when I handed him the pickled newt intestines! How romantic! Then he accidentally caught his robe on fire. I felt so bad for him. I mean, Peter Pettigrew put it out for him right quickly with a stream of water from his wand, but it was still a little scary. Actually, I was pretty surprised that Peter knew how to do that, he mumbled something about his shoes on fire more than once or some other gibberish, but I was just glad that Frank was alright. Rebecca shot Frank such a look when he finished drying off his robe. I wonder what that was all about. He seemed rather sheepish for a while after that, but it really could've happened to anyone. I suppose. But his clumsiness is really rather endearing, in my opinion anyway.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Quidditch  
  
Today when we got back from classes there was a notice on the Common Room board for all First Year girls to report to Classroom Eleven for a mandatory meeting with Madame Promfry on Friday after the dinner. Alice and I read it together, but neither of us can figure out what it's all about. All the older girls, even just the Second Years were smiling and laughing at us when we read the message. I really have no idea why. I think I'll ask Lily, Tessa and Mel if they have any idea what this is all about at dinner.  
  
In other news, less that two weeks till my birthday (and Franks too, I suppose, but I have to share just about everything with him, so in my journal, I think I'm going to regard it primarily as my birthday). Although, speaking of Frank, I've got to start his letter. Our mum got us started on that tradition as soon as we were old enough to write, but I think it's a good one. And cheap, which is good since I've rarely got many galleons on me. And, in all honesty, I always like getting my letter from Frank. He always surprises me.  
Today I ran into Snape again. It was the first time I saw him while I was alone since. well since that day right before Christmas when Alice, Frank and Peter were in the kitchens. You'd think that after we swelled him up to the size of a small elephant he'd leave me alone, but he followed me all the way to the library like a little puppy dog. I swear, it was the most disturbing thing ever. So I whirled around and looked him right in the eye and said, "Can I help you, Snape?" And I tried to make his name sound as mean as possible and he narrowed his eyes and glared right back at me and said, "You help me? I think not. I merely wished to clear up a misconception. Back before holidays, I only said those things to you as a joke. Lucius and Frederick were watching from nearby, so don't get any ideas, Longbottom." So I glared right back and said, "Then they must've loved seeing one of their own the size of a baby elephant. Whatever happened to those dueling skills you always boast about?" He glared at me and pulled out his wand so fast I could barely blink. "Are you implying something, Longbottom?" He said to me and I pulled out mine. "Only if you are, Snape. I could beat you in a Wizard Duel with my eyes closed backwards." Then he said "Tonight, eleven o'clock by the portrait of Sir Cadogan. Bring a second." Then he stalked off.  
Bloody fantastic, Lily's been on me all of this past week for loosing just five points the other day for Gryffindor, now I'm probably going to get caught out of the dormitory in the middle of the night and loose even more points and probably get detention. And so will my second, because I am definitely not going to go duel Snape without a second. I heard last week though that Snape had a falling out with Malfoy, so if that's true, I wonder who he'll get to be his second. Well, I'd best be off. Homework to do, letters to write, seconds to find. this is a fantastic mess. I'll let you know how it went if I come back in one piece. Actually, forget the homework and the letter can wait. I'm going to go find a second and spend the rest of the day in the library researching hexes. Maybe Melissa will do it, she's really fast with a wand, if it comes to that. Oi.  
-Rebecca  
  
Acid Pops  
  
Rebecca is up to something and I don't think its good, whatever it is. I saw her and Melissa huddled in the corner of the Common Room a few minutes ago surrounded by books. I'm always a bit worried when Melissa is studying if Lily isn't threatening her with death. maybe she's just reading for fun, but they looked like they were from the library.  
There's some strange meeting on Friday, it's making me nervous. I asked one of the Second Years what it was about and she giggled and told me it would spoil the surprise if she told me. What surprise? This isn't going to be good. I can just tell. And somehow, all the boys, even the First Year boys, seem to know what it's about. Why won't they just tell us?? Well, at least it's only two days until the meeting. Tessa just came in, I think I'm going to ask her if she knows.  
Always,  
Alice 


	3. Who knew Maximus Factorius mascara could...

Quidditch  
  
Well journal, just so you know, it's about two o'clock in the morning. Most of the dormitory is asleep, well Mel and I just climbed into bed, but even she's probably nearly unconscious. However, I did say I'd report the events of the night, so I will.  
After I closed you earlier, I went down to the Common Room to wait for Mel, since I was pretty sure she'd be up soon, and, as I figured it, she's always the easiest going about breaking the rules. Some nonsense about civil disobedience. She says it's a theory in the Muggle world about breaking rules as long as you are okay with accepting consequences and she said a few points and detention for a chance at hexing Snape, or whatever Slytherin is his second, would be worth it. So once she agreed we went to the library and began looking up as many hexes and curses as we could find and used an empty classroom to work for a few hours. Then we went back to the library and checked out a few books on counter curses. We didn't have time to practice them, but both of us agreed it would probably be a good idea to at least know a few of the incantations to undo whatever damage might be inflicted. To us, of course, who cares about the Slytherins. I think Alice noticed we were up to something when we were up here working on that, but she wisely just avoided us. Peter Pettigrew actually came over at one point and, without even asking what we were doing, explained how to shoot water out of your wand. He said it can be used as a distraction sometimes and left it at that. I'm under the impression the Marauders suspected we were up to something. Well, when they see the house points tomorrow, they'll know for sure.  
Anyway, around ten thirty, we realized that we needed to get out of the Common Room somehow and we hadn't planned for that, so Melissa woke up Tessa and begged her to make some sort of diversion. Let's just say that she was still cleaning it up with Mrs. Scower's Magical Mess Remover when we got back to the Common Room an hour and a half ago. Mel and I finished cleaning it up for her so she could go to bed though, after all, it was our fault. She lost ten points from Gryffindor for that stunt too. who knew Maximus Factorius mascara could be that explosive if you mix it with shrivelfig and Sleekeasy's Hair Potion? Well, I guess Tessa did. Anyway.  
During that whole brouhaha, Melissa and I slipped through the portrait hole and made our way to Sir Cadogan's portrait in the South Tower. I'd never seen it before, but Melissa said she'd been lost up there once and that Sir Cadogan was a madman. The night was already shaping up to be quite exciting. We kept going over various curses and whatnot during our walk there. When we got there, Snape and his second hadn't arrived yet, so we sat down to wait for them and discussed who he would bring if he was on the outs with Malfoy and gang. About ten minutes after eleven we heard footsteps heading our way and we jumped up. Snape and Bellatrix Black came around the last bit of stairs and walked up to us.  
"You brought a Muggle born?" Black cackled, pointing at Melissa. "Does she even have a clue what a Wizard duel is?"  
"Shut it, Black," Melissa snapped at her. "You'd better pray that you don't need to step up because I am fully in the mood to hex you into next Sunday without blinking. Come on, Becca." She walked over to our corner and Snape and Black walked over to theirs, all of us had our wands out.  
"Ready then, Snape?" I asked. He nodded. "Sorry, but I don't trust Black any farther than I can throw her, so if you don't mind, I think Melissa best count to three."  
"If you think that'll help you, Longbottom. Go ahead, count Denezyuk."  
And we turned around and walked away as Melissa counted to three. On three we both whirled around and shot our first curses.  
"Conjunctiva!"  
"Expelliarmus!"  
My wand went flying and Snape dropped his as he grabbed at his eyes. Fortunately though, I could still see, so I grabbed my wand as Black stooped down, grabbed Snape's wand and shoved it back in his hand.  
"Petrificus Totalus!"  
"Petrificus Totalus!"  
And that's where it all went to hell, excuse my language, journal. Snape and I toppled over at the exact same time and Black and Melissa jumped up. Oh Merlin, I felt so bad lying there, I really didn't think Mel was going to have to do anything other than maybe a counter curse or two to fix me at the end. But she really surprised me, I guess she doesn't spend all her time with just the Daily Prophet.  
"Tarantallegra!" Black's feet started twitching and jumping, but to my surprise and probably Mel's too, she just laughed.  
"Stupid Mudblood," she yelled at Melissa. "If that's how you want to play, Rictusempra!"  
Melissa doubled over wheezing and laughing. "F-f-f-finite incantatem!" I could tell Melissa's counter curse was weak, but it was enough to calm her down so that she could repeat it and make it work well enough to stop the hex. While Melissa had been laughing, Black had ended the tarantallegra hex, too.  
"Nox!" Black said loudly, plunging us all into darkness, quickly followed by "Furnunculus!" I heard Mel cry out in pain and then yell.  
"Lumos maximus!" All the lights blazed on even brighter than before, but before I even had time to clear my eyes, I heard her yell "Aquato!" and saw her point her want directly at Black. I started to get worried then that she was running out of hexes. Bellatrix Black was one person I had not expected Snape to turn to and the levels to which she could sink scared me a bit. I felt even worse since this was my fight and not even Melissa's and here I was, stuck on the floor in a full body bind and she's covered in painful boils shooting water at Black's face.  
Black sputtered but managed to get out "Serpensortia!" which I was completely unfamiliar with and therefore rather frightened when a huge snake came out of her wand. It made its way across the floor and was headed for me when it suddenly changed course and started slithering towards Melissa. I've never kicked myself harder mentally than at that moment. I knew we were screwed. Melissa's jaw dropped and Bellatrix stood back with her arms crossed at her chest with a look of triumph on her face. I really think she was going to let it bite Melissa, and it looked poisonous. Suddenly Melissa shook her head and pointed her wand at the snake.  
"Incendio!" The snake burst into flames and crumbled into a pile of ashes. At that moment, I decided that Melissa would always be my first choice for a second in any battle. Then she spun around to Black and yelled "Relashio!" which sent out a stream of fiery red sparks, burning Black's face, neck and shoulders slightly and setting the tips of her hair on fire. She screamed obscenities that even would've made the Marauder's blush and put it out using the same water spell Mel had used earlier.  
"Crucio!" I almost passed out. I swear, the moment I heard her yell that, I thought I was going to die. First a poisonous snake, now an unforgivable curse.  
Melissa screamed so loud, I swear, if I could've moved I would've cried, even Snape's eyes seemed to widen in shock. Fortunately, her spell was really, really weak and she couldn't control it long. I mean, it was a miracle that she even made it work, I'd read that you really have to have a lot of hate to use and control the Unforgivables and I just can't believe that she would hate two girls she doesn't even know that much.  
Well the second the curse stopped Melissa wheeled around and yelled "Impedimentia!" since Black started advancing on her. This took Bellatrix by surprise and she toppled over. "Locomotor Mortis!" Mel yelled, locking her legs in place.  
But Black still had her wand, even if she was toppled on the ground and she yelled "Crucio!" again, but this time she was weaker and Melissa just yelled like she'd gotten a shock not that horrible scream like before.  
  
Before Black had a chance to say anything else, Melissa said "Expelliarmus!" and as Bellatrix's wand flew from her hand, Melissa collapsed to the floor, with a horrible expression of pain on her face. She pointed her wand at me and muttered, "Finite Incantatum." And then slumped her back against the wall before pointing her wand at her throat "Sonorus," she muttered and then said "Help us, we're in the South Tower. Please, come help." Then she slumped back even farther and dropped her wand. I was so scared. I pointed my own wand at her throat and muttered "Quietus" so that she wouldn't still be shouting when a professor arrived.  
Filch showed up first and from the way he stood there, clearly he didn't know what to do. Usually he would scream at any student breaking rules, but the four of us were in such sorry shape. I was crying and Melissa was nearly unconscious. Snape was still in a full body bind and Black was still stuck on the floor, unable to move, yelling obscenities. I reached over and grabbed her wand, out of fear that she just might manage to get it somehow. It seemed better to be safe than sorry at that point. I was still reeling that she'd used an Unforgivable twice on one of my friends. This wasn't some life or death duel, this was supposed to be just two rival Houses having at each other again and she'd tried to kill Melissa once and had succeeded in seriously hurting her another time.  
Professor McGonagall nearly knocked Filch over as she came running up the steps. I was crying so hard by this point I could barely see until Melissa looked up at me and grinned weakly, and you know what she said journal? You know what the girl who'd been hit by Crucio twice in five minutes and nearly eaten by a snake said to me? "Quit crying, we won, you idiot. That'll teach Slytherin." Then she passed out. That didn't really help my mental state at the time.  
Professor McGonagall gasped at the sight before her and demanded an explanation. By now, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, both in their pajamas and robes had shown up in the South Tower. Professor Sprout walked over to Snape and undid the body bind as Professor Flitwick took care of Black. Melissa was out cold though, so Professor McGonagall had to levitate her body down to the Hospital Wing. I had kinda stopped crying by now, but I still felt on the verge of tears.  
When we got down to the infirmary, Madame Pomfry took one look at us and shook her head. She put Snape and Black into beds and one end and Melissa into a bed at the other end. I was so worried about Melissa, I really didn't know much about Crucio but there has to be a reason it's an Unforgivable and as I saw it, it was my fault she had to endure it. Twice. Oh man, I still want to go wake her up and apologize again or something. except she'd be pretty mad I woke her up, I bet. Ugh.  
Well, while Madame Pomfry took care of the other three, Professor McGonagall made me tell her what happened. I told her Snape had challenged me to a Wizard Duel and that Bellatrix and Melissa were our seconds. Then she asked me why Ms. Black and Ms. Denezyuk seemed to be in considerably worse shape than either Mr. Snape or I and I told her that we had knocked each other out pretty quickly and instead of calling it a draw, they had jumped in to finish the duel. Professor McGonagall looked so angry. I've never been so scared. I thought we might even get expelled. For some reason I just couldn't bring myself to tell her about the spells Bellatrix had used. I just told her that the Slytherins fought dirty and then burst into tears again, which seemed to frighten her a bit. I guess it was because I'm really not a crier. I never cry. Except for tonight, that's all I've been doing since Melissa took me of that body bind.  
Then she took 100 points from Slytherin and 100 points from Gryffindor. Fifty from each person involved and said that we'd all have detentions in addition to that, she just hadn't decided on how many yet. That I ought to be ashamed of myself for break so many school rules and that she thought higher of me than that. And she was right, I've never felt more ashamed of myself. Mel and I are dead when we go into the Great Hall tomorrow morning, and none of it is even Mel's fault. I tried to explain that to McGonagall. I even said that when it got too rough, Melissa was the one who knew when to call for help, that she was the one who had shouted. And McGonagall said "Be that as it may, you still both broke many rules this evening and you were both well aware of the consequences. However, when I assign your detentions, based upon the complete and total lack of good judgment the four of you illustrated tonight, I will take that into consideration. Few people know when to call for help and despite all of your actions this evening, that was perhaps the one good judgment call." In a way, it almost reminded me of Melissa's whole civil disobedience idea. but I don't think she quite expected this.  
Professor McGonagall surprised me though and let me wait for Melissa before coming back to the Common Room. When I walked past Snape and Black, I noticed that the conjunctivitis curse I'd sent Snape's way had been pretty impressive. And that spell that shot fiery sparks out of Mel's wand. well, let's just say Bellatrix will have to figure out a new hairstyle for a while. I hope Melissa at least gets a chuckle out of that. I forgot to tell her about it on the way back.  
When I got to Melissa's bed, she was already sitting up and ready to go, but Madame Pomfry grabbed me and made me drink a Calming Draught before she let us leave. Mel told me that she'd given her one too, along with a pain one. I asked her if she'd told her which curses Bellatrix had used, but for some reason, Melissa decided not to mention them either.  
I think maybe neither of us want to admit someone our own age could already be so full of hate. As we walked past Snape and Black, Melissa beamed widely at them and gave them a jaunty wave. I thought she'd lost her mind and asked her about it on the way back to the Common Room.  
"Have you lost it? She seriously tried to kill you!"  
"I know. But she didn't. She got beaten by a Muggle born, and I fully intend to rub it in every chance I get until we graduate."  
"You have lost it. We could've died tonight and it would've been my fault!"  
"Have you lost it? You explained to me clearly what could happen. I knew what I was getting into. That may well be the coolest thing that has happened since becoming a witch. I didn't even realize that I knew so many curses. Good thing I looked up that fire one, huh? That was one nasty looking snake." She smiled again.  
"You have lost it. Competely."  
Then she just shrugged at me.  
"We lost fifty points and we're going to get detentions for this. I think McGonagall admired that you knew when to call for help."  
"Well, fifty isn't so bad I guess. If we answer a lot of questions in class, we can make it up before the end of the year."  
"Um. No. It was fifty each. We lost one hundred points for Gryffindor in a little less than an hour."  
Then Melissa stopped short and her jaw dropped.  
"We're dead when we get into the Great Hall tomorrow. We are deader than dead. Oh my gosh, they're going to lynch us. And we're only First Years too. this could result in six more years of ostracism. One hundred points." And then she shook her head.  
Anyway, when we got back to the Common Room, Tessa was scrubbing the carpet and muttering about stupid pranks and whatnot. Melissa jumped around and was like, we kicked their butt. Gryffindor rules and Slytherin drools and she glared at me. And I just now realized that that glare meant that that was the attitude we should take towards the whole thing. I guess she's right. There's nothing we can do now and at least Slytherin lost 100 points too. so maybe we will live through breakfast tomorrow. Anyway, we finished cleaning up the mess for Tessa, even though I wanted to do it alone, I still felt bad about. everything. But Mel wouldn't let me, so we sat there scrubbing the floor for another hour and a half chatting about classes and stuff.  
Wow, this is so long and I need to get some sleep before History of Magic tomorrow. That class is so boring. ugh. Night.  
-Rebecca  
  
Acid Pops  
  
I'm sitting in the Great Hall with Lily and Tessa. Mel and Becca were afraid to come down this morning and I couldn't figure out why until I saw the hourglasses. There is absolutely no way though that the two of them are solely responsible for loosing one hundred and ten points in one night.  
Oh, Tessa just corrected me, she lost ten last night. They only lost one hundred. How did they manage that? I really don't think even the Marauder's have done that in one night. Unbelievable. I better get details later. Tessa says she doesn't really know anything, but she did figure out a fun little explosive with her make-up last night. I worry about her sometimes.  
Oh my gosh, Frank just walked in with Rob Cage from Ravenclaw. Maybe he'll come sit with us. Oh, I doubt it. Becca's not here, so he'll probably sit with Sirius and Peter at the other end of the table. Where are the other two?  
Oh my, James and Remus just sat down with us to ask if the rumors were true and we were like, what rumors? Apparently the word around the castle is that last night there was a duel between Gryffindor and Slytherin and both houses are trying to figure out who was involved and who won and when they said that Tessa gasped and was like, that's what they meant. And the rest of us all looked at her and she said, "I'm not sure who the Slytherins were, but I think the Gryffindors were Mel and Becca and I think they got caught, which is why Slytherin and Gryffindor are both down one hundred points today." Then James and Remus squawked. apparently they hadn't checked the hourglasses on their way in, but most of the rest of the house has and the general concensus is that if someone in our house really did manage to beat Slytherin in a Wizard Duel, then it's worth the points. Then Tessa added that Mel had danced around the Common Room chanting 'we beat them, we beat them' and whatnot after she and Rebecca got back, so maybe they did win. I wonder how exactly you win? I've never paid much attention to Wizarding Duels before. I assume all four of them are still alive. Well, I know at least Mel and Becca are, they were sleeping when we came down today.  
Well, I guess I'll just have to wait till History of Magic to ask them.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Becca? I saw you have your diary on your desk. Come on, look over here. Don't make me waste a piece of parchment writing you a note telling you to write to me here. -A  
  
Gryffindor  
  
What, Alice? Can't you see I'm ever so interested in the Kappa Act of 1296? If I don't learn information like this, life could cease to exist as I know it! -R  
  
Always with the sarcasm. -A  
  
Well, not always, but most of the time and in here, yes. -R  
  
So what were you up to last night? -A  
  
Nothing as spectacular as some of the rumors suggest. -R  
  
Which rumors are those? -A  
  
Well I heard from one Fourth Year Ravenclaw that I'm shacking up with Professor Flitwick in hopes of a passing grade. I thought that was a rather nice opinion of my morals. Really now. -R  
  
I actually hadn't heard that one. I did hear a fun one about Filch though. -A  
  
Ugh. Please, spare me. -R  
  
You're no fun. Really though, what happened? -A  
  
What most of the rumors say. I dueled Snape and Mel took on Bellatrix Black. Scariest thing I've ever seen. -R  
  
A First Years Wizarding Duel was the scariest thing you've ever seen? You have issues, my friend. -A  
  
Listen, I don't want to recount it. Drop your book and I'll drop mine. If you promise only to read that entry, the last one, then you can just read what I wrote. Then drop it again when you're ready to switch back, alright? -R  
  
You'd trust me with your password? -A  
  
Are you going to go snooping randomly when I don't want you to? -R  
  
Never. -A  
  
Well, that's what I figured. It's not like you're Frank. The password's Quidditch. -R  
  
Should've guessed. -A  
  
Listen though. Mel and I kinda agreed that we really don't want to talk about it. I mean. really. I know she told Tessa though, so I'm telling you, and Lily, if she asks. but there are some pretty nasty details. I think I'd rather just try and forget them. -R  
  
It can't be that bad. A First Years duel, really. But I won't ever mention a word of it after I finish reading it, if that's what you want. -A  
  
That's what I want. -R  
  
Acid Pops  
  
I'm sitting in History of Magic right now. Rebecca let me read her account of what happened last night.  
I just can't believe it. Part of me is in shock that that hag even managed to get an Unforgivable to work, they're supposed to be very difficult. Another part of me is outraged that Melissa and Rebecca didn't tell McGonagall. and part of me is just flat out scared. and I can't even entirely place my finger on why. And a very small part of me even understands how they might decide not to tell. I feel so wrong right now. And I can totally understand why Mel slept in, I bet that's why she's skipping class today, too. If I'd had the Cruciatus Curse put on me, I'd probably want to sleep for a week. Only Mel would be able to dance around and voluntarily scrub the Common Room.the girl is nutters... I just. I'm in shock. I think I want to forget all those details now too. maybe ignorance really is bliss sometimes.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Acid Pops  
  
I'm completely convinced I bombed that Potions test this morning. In that class I really am abysmal sometimes. It's just that Nackle makes me so nervous and then he makes fun of me. and it's just a horrible class. I swear, we loose points because of me every single class period. Today I knocked into my cauldron and had to grab it to keep it from spilling and that horrid old professor made a comment about how uncoordinated and large I am. What sort of man says such things?!? I just.. I burst into tears and ran from the room. I ran out of the dungeons and into the nearest bathroom when I realized I'd picked Myrtle's bathroom. All the girls try so hard to avoid it, Moaning Myrtle is just beastly when you're upset. She hung over me and mocked me even more until I screamed really loud at her that she was a horror and she burst into tears then and shot down the toilet, but I was so mad at her that I didn't even care she was crying and I flushed the toilet. That'll show her, she can go fight with the giant squid for a bit. Anyway, about an hour later Tessa and Lily found me in the bathroom and hugged me and told me that Nackle was a grumpy old git (according to Tessa because "he can't get any". I have no idea what she meant, but I could tell she was trying to cheer me up and Lily looked just as confused as I did). Then they told me I should come to the Great Hall since I was time for lunch. I didn't really want to but they insisted and they told me that Becca and Mel had all three of our supplies, since the two of them had run straight out of the classroom after me as soon as the bell had rung.  
When we sat down to eat they told me that Melissa had lost ten points from Gryffindor for yelling at Nackle when he said that. I felt so bad that she lost those points for me, what a stupid thing for her to do. But she just grinned that stupid grin of hers that makes you forget about being guilty, even when you are, and said that she should thank me, she was always wondering how many points a student could possibly loose in a week and claimed that she still had a few hours to go until dinner, should she go for an even hundred? Then Tessa flung a buttered roll at her and Becca and Lily both smacked her. But Melissa just laughed and bit into the roll Tessa had thrown at her.  
But the most amazing part (and horrid when you think of the points lost) was when Sirius and James came into the Great Hall with Frank clamped firmly between them. Each of them had a hand tight around one of his arms and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. When they walked by the Slytherin table, Frank seemed to try to get loose but whatever James said to him made him stop struggling and walk along. Then they sat down by us and Frank sat next to Becca (like he always does when he sits with us) and I noticed that he had a fat lip and a black eye and I asked what happened and all through lunch he wouldn't tell me. He ate really quickly and then went up to the Hospital Wing. Becca took him and when the walked past the Slytherin table he started towards them again and Becca kicked him really hard and pushed him out the door.  
Well, I really wanted to know what happened by this time, so I asked James and Sirius, since I was pretty sure they knew. Those two know all of the rule breaking that goes on around Hogwarts. For some reason, neither of them would tell me either, so finally when they left the table, I turned to Mel and was like, please, pretty please tell me what happened? And Tessa looked interested too so Melissa just sighed as was like, "Frank pummeled Malfoy. or tried. The Slytherin prat dumped his cauldron onto Frank, Nackle gave him an antidote, probably just because he had to, but the cauldron hit Frank, which is how he got the fat lip. The black eye came from the scuffle outside the classroom. He lost twenty points from Gryffindor, but we both joked that he still doesn't hold a candle to me when it comes to loosing points."  
But I wanted to know why he did that, Frank's so even tempered most of the time, just like Becca and Mel looked at me like I was nutters and said, "Well Malfoy called you. a name. Apparently Frank doesn't appreciate it when his friends are insulted."  
Frank tried to beat up Malfoy for me! Couldn't you just die?  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Bloody hell, it's about time. I swear, if Remus was lying to me and one of them actually managed to read this. they're dead.  
Just so you know, diary, you've been lost for the last couple of days and I've been in a frenzy. I didn't want anyone to find you and open you, especially since my passwords are so easy to guess and I couldn't tell the others because I didn't want Becca to find out since I was scared she'd think I was careless with my Christmas gifts. I'm sure she wouldn't have in hindsight. but at any rate you're found.  
And do you want to know where I found you?!? In Sirius Black's grimy paws, that's where! I walked past the Marauder's today in the Common Room. Since Herbology was cancelled for the day, we all had some free time before dinner and everyone was studying and I said hi to Remus as I passed by and when I glanced up to look at him I saw Sirius studying. Except he wasn't studying any school subjects, oh no, he was asking James what he thought this book was and why it was empty and they were actually trying passwords. They were trying passwords! So I shrieked, "That's my diary! Give it here, now!" And all four of them looked really surprised and Remus grabbed it from Sirius and gave it right to me and told me he'd found it but hadn't known whose it was. or what it was for that matter.  
What a few days! Earlier this week Rebecca and Melissa got in some sort of Wizarding Duel, but they lost so many points that everyone was mad at them and I didn't want to know the details of what I'm sure was a sordid activity and they didn't volunteer any, so all I know is that Gryffindor won and Snape and Bellatrix Black had to spend the night in the Hospital Wing.  
Then earlier today in Potions, Professor Nackle made the most horrid comment to Alice and she ran out of the room crying and after class Tessa and I found her in the bathroom and while we were gone, Mel lost even more points for yelling at a professor, I swear I don't know what gets into that girl sometimes and Frank Longbottom lost even more points on top of that for getting in a fight with that git Malfoy after class.  
And now its dinner time and after that, that stupid meeting. I've got so much homework to do. this had better be interesting.  
Love from,  
Lily 


	4. The crazy nurse whips out a banana

Quidditch  
  
Oh sweet Merlin, I think I'm scarred for life. Honestly. The five of us wandered back into the Common Room looking shell shocked and it was like the whole House was waiting for us! The Common Room started applauding and laughing, welcoming us to "teenagehood". Well I don't know about them, but I'm still only eleven and if all that is part of growing up, I think I'd prefer to remain eleven forever. All five of us blushed so red. Even Tessa and stuff like this never gets to her. we made a dash for our dormitory but before we could get there the Marauders turned up and Sirius and James started cackling, Peter too, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had no idea what he was laughing at. Only Remus was decent enough not to laugh, but we were all so red by then, I think even he was biting it back. And then Frank came in and I though I just wanted to sink into the floor, until I happened to glance at Alice who looked like she just wanted to die and ran for the dormitory, the rest of us followed her and now the five of us are all sitting here, each of us in our bed with trying not to look at one another. Lily and Alice have their diaries out too, but I don't think I want to start any kind of group discussion at the moment.  
There's got to be a spell out there to stop you from growing up. First thing in the morning, I'm going to the library to find it.  
-Rebecca  
  
Acid Pops  
  
EW! Oh my goodness, I can't even phrase coherent thoughts right now. No wonder all the older girls laughed at us when that stupid bulletin went up. Note to self, next year, I refuse to laugh at the other girls. I'll just look at them with sympathy and if any of them ask me what's coming, I'll let them know. That was just the cruelest thing to spring on someone with no warning at all.  
After dinner the five of us started for the stairs, and since we'd eaten with the Marauder's, they were with us, and Remus pointed out quietly that we were supposed to go to a meeting, now, weren't we? And then the four of us started towards Classroom Eleven and we realized Lily was still standing on the steps and we were like, Lil, its mandatory! And she was like, I've got so much homework. it can't be all that important, can it? I mean, the boys don't have to go. As soon as she said that the boys ran up the stairs so fast it was like they were shot out of a cannon. We talked her into coming and we got to the classroom and realized that the First Years from all the Houses were there. I swear Becca was shooting darts of death with her eyes at Bellatrix Black, who was sending them right back at her, and at Mel, who just ignored her, which seemed to make her even angrier.  
Anyway, once we got there, I went over to talk to Melody, since we don't see too much of one another when we're here and while we were catching up she started telling me that she likes Peter Neder, a Hufflepuff in our year and that she thinks he likes her. So they might start dating. Sometimes I think she's loony, but maybe I'm just a little jealous too. I wish Frank liked me. But that has nothing to do with this. or well, on a very basic level, I suppose it does, but. ewww. Anyway, while we were talking Madame Pomfrey came in and started setting stuff up. Papers and somesuch and she had a bag. Then she asked us all to move over and stand by the wall, so we did and she charmed the chairs all into straight rows pointing to the front and got rid of the desks. Then she told us to sit down and said we were going to watch a movie, like Muggles do. The Slytherins all snorted and made gagging noises but Madame Pomfrey told them all to be quiet and then pointed her wand at the front of the room and it projected a movie onto the wall that we all sat down to watch.  
The movie was. just a horror. But at least it was dark and we didn't have to talk during it.  
About half an hour later the lights all came back on and Madame Pomfrey walked to the front of the class and I looked around, all of us, down to the last Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin were beet red. Yes, even those oh-so-calm-cool-and-collected Slytherins.  
Then Madame Pomfrey reached into the bag and started pulling out various things and explaining their uses. Oh goodness, it was the most horrid half an hour of my life and some of that stuff I was already more than well aware of, I just never figured it would need to be discussed in public! When she asked if there were any questions at the end, I've never seen twenty girls shake their heads no so quickly. When she excused us, we just about ran out of the room and no one was looking at one another, much less talking. The first noise that any of us Gryffindors heard after that was Melissa mumbling "Little Dipper" for us to get into the Common Room and then the horrible applause and.  
Frank showed up and I knew he knew. I could tell from the look on his face. You could just tell they all knew, every single one of them. Someone had even told the boys. I just wanted to die. So I ran into the dormitory and jumped into my bed. The others followed and we haven't said a word to one another since. This is just far too embarrassing. I suppose someday we'll have to speak to one another again. but. Oh Merlin, what a night.  
  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Um, wow. Well this evening has been terrifically embarrassing. I'd ask for a second opinion from one of my dorm mates, but as the general consensus for dealing with this at the moment seems to be a stunned silence, I'll wait a bit.  
I see no reason to really detail the events of the evening. They'll be burned into my head until I die thanks to Madame Pomfrey. I did, however, learn that Tessa has completely invented several of the things she's told us this year, or her older sisters thought it would be amusing to misinform her. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume it was the latter.  
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the crazy nurse whips out a banana. Sweet Merlin, I thought I was going to collapse and die right there.  
Okay, this silence is ridiculous and I need to talk. Maybe Alice or Becca will respond. Tessa looks entirely distraught at all the ill conceived ideas she once had. Although, Mel looks just fine, a bit red still, but I'd bet she's already dealt. Holy cow, she actually just got up and walked out of the room. If she's down in the Common Room, she's officially the bravest person I've ever met.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Gryffindor  
  
So. how 'bout them Quidditch scores, Becca? -L  
  
Gryffindor  
  
You do realize I'm sitting less than fifteen feet from you if you wanted to talk about something, Lil, don't you? -R  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Sometimes it's easier to write things down than to actually speak up about them. -A  
  
Wise words from the blonde in the corner. Oh, and to the best of my knowledge, Ravenclaw flattened Slytherin this past Saturday. Pro scores I can't recall off the top of my head. But let's just cut to the chase, so what did you lot think of that oh so educational assembly? -R  
  
You did just hear me groan as I read that, I assume. It would've been nice to know what we were walking into. -L  
  
Some things are just not meant to be discussed in a group like that. My "friend" is one of them. -A  
  
Are you implying you've already gotten it? -L  
  
Well yeah, and my mum and I had a perfectly lovely, if not equally horrifying chat then. I didn't need another one. Don't you? -A  
  
No. -R  
  
No. -L  
  
Oh. -A  
  
Was your chat as detailed? -R  
  
Um, no. My mum felt absolutely no need to explain to me what boys were going through. I really never needed to know that. -A  
  
Ugh, I know. Now every time I do something weird I'm going to be wondering what weird boy version Frank is going through. Yuck. Ick. I think I'd just prefer to remain eleven forever. -R  
  
There's got to be a potion for that. -L  
  
I've thought of that. I plan to check the library tomorrow. Want to join me? -R  
  
No. I think I can handle this. Well. I figure I might as well try anyway. None of those symptoms she explained have caught up with me yet. When they do, I may well ask you what your research concluded. -L  
  
Do you both think I'm the only one of. all of us? -A  
  
Who knows? Ask the others. -R  
  
Oh, that'll be a bloody brilliant conversation. -A  
  
How would it be worse than this? -L  
  
I'd actually have to say it aloud to the other two. Speaking of which, where do you suppose Mel went? And there goes Tessa now. I wonder. -A  
  
Who knows? If you are the only one, so what? How long have you.? -L  
  
Only since the winter holidays. It's not overly pleasant. This joy of womanhood story they feed you is absolute bull. I assure you. I'd happily never have a child if I could avoid that every month. -A  
  
So only twice then? -L  
  
Yeah. -A  
  
May I ask if either of you was unsure as to whether you should laugh or cry when Madame Pomfrey pulled out that banana? -L  
  
Let's not even discuss that banana. -R  
  
Go answer the door, Lil. You're closest. -A  
  
Lazy bums. -L  
  
What on Earth is a prefect doing here? We'd best giver her our attention. -A  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Well hello February. All the girls seem to be over the horrid embarrassment of Friday. I think we're a rather resilient bunch. Today I had the worst case of hiccups and it wound up turning into one of the strangest conversations I've ever had. I was walking out to the Quidditch pitch with Alice and Peter Pettigrew for our Flying lessons (which I absolutely hate by the way) and they started again.  
"I hate these hiccups. Nothing I try stops them. Maybe there's a spell." (Which I said in between hiccups.)  
"I'm sure they'll stop, Lily. After all, no one's ever died of hiccups before." Was what Peter said.  
"Oh, that's not true, Peter." Alice said and we both looked at her like she was nuts. "No Muggles have, because when you leave them alone they do go away, but plenty of witches and wizards have tried just about everything to cure them and one wizard cast a spell on himself which just wound up making him hiccup so many times in a row he didn't have time to catch his breath and he asphyxiated to death. Tragic really. Lots of witches tell that story to their kids when they complain about their hiccups to warn them from trying to charm them away."  
How disturbing is that? Every time I think I'm starting to get a handle on the magical world, something new becomes deadly. I told Becca that at Flying and she laughed and said that that was definitely what mum's were supposed to say, but she didn't think she believed it. Then she said Frank bought every strange story their mother ever told them. I wonder what other things parents say in this world. Maybe it's a boggart under the bed rather than a boogeyman, but that's a little disturbing since that could well be true.  
After the lesson Remus and I had to stay to help Madame Hooch put the brooms away. We both got caught talking and she decided it would be suitable punishment. I think we both got off easy since neither of us make waves in class. Thank goodness Flying isn't a regular class. Meeting once a month is more than enough for me, but if the weather is bad in March, we get to skip it completely, so cross your fingers, diary. Anyway, I told Remus that Becca's birthday is coming up and I had an idea for what I wanted to get her (Alice was explaining that there are enchanted action figures in the magical world, like a walking talking Barbie, I assumed and while I was sure Rebecca wouldn't want anything Barbie like, Alice said they have Quidditch players too.). We both thought it would be great if we could get together with the other girls and get her two whole teams so she can make them play games, but we couldn't figure out how to actually procure them. When I mentioned it to Remus though, he said that I should try sending out an order by owl to one of the stores in Hogsmeade. I'll have to mention it to Alice because I think it would be a really great gift.  
I really worry about that boy, he looked so sick all day and then, instead of coming back to the Common Room, he headed off to the Hospital Wing again. I think I'm going to ask him what's wrong with him, maybe I can help somehow.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
I despise those brooms. Lily always says she hates them, but she can actually fly, she's just scared of heights! I keep falling off and I look like a spectacle whenever I get near one of those dumb things. When I grow up, the only reason I'll have a broom is to sweep my kitchen floor, thank you very much.  
Lily, Tessa, Mel and I are getting Becca Quidditch figures for her birthday. I hope she likes Puddlemere United and Transylvania, since those are the teams we asked for. The four of us couldn't remember which is her favorite team, but we thought it might be one of those. Hopefully it's not the Cannons. if it is I guess she can just train Transylvania to beat Puddlemere into the ground.  
Becca's been in her own little world the past two days working on some sort of letter to Frank. Speaking of whom, I'd kind of like to get him a gift too. but I have no idea what to get him. Ack, and I'm nearly late. herbology tutoring you know.  
Always,  
Alice 


	5. That probably wouldn’t be wise

Quidditch  
  
Alice just rushed out of here to meet up with Frank for Herbology tutoring. I wonder if he'll ever think to look through her notes and see that all her tests are near perfect. She may well have a higher average than he does in there. I'd add that to my note, but Alice would kill me.  
I've been spending all this free time on this note, trying to sum up all the things of the past year and predict our futures. I'm almost done with the present. I rather like predicting the future, it's always my favorite part to read in my letter too. I'll copy down what I'm thinking of writing for his future and maybe I will, since I don't think he ever lets anyone else see his note anyway:  
I think that in out seventh year you'll propose to Alice Smith, who will accept with a very happy "It's about time!" and the two of you will get married shortly after we all leave Hogwarts. Alice will work as a herbologist (no doubt thanks to your hard hours of tutoring her during First Year) and you will become an Enforcer, since your actions of late have shown me that you don't like it when other people get picked on (I'm referring to your spectacular attack on Malfoy last week when he dared to insult Alice). Or maybe an Auror, but as of right now, things are pretty calm and Aurors are just glorified Enforcers. Hopeful the Dark Arts will stay calm and Aurors will remain glorified Enforcers, although one never knows. You'll have a whole bunch of kids, the first will be a girl that you will, of course, name after your dearest sister and Alice's dear best friend. Hint, hint. After that. well, name 'em whatever you want. I'm sure you'll be happy and healthy and all that junk.  
Of course, there will be more, but I think I will write just that. And elaborate of course.  
Speaking of Alice and Frank, I wonder what's going on with Lily and Lupin. They seems to be "friends" as of late. Maybe Madame Pomfrey isn't completely nutters and all those hormones are beginning to kick in. For them. And then of course for Tessa, who was born in some sort of boy crazed state. Mel and I are the only sane ones, I swear. And I bet that's only because she's too thick to notice that Lupin's been smitten with her since pretty near the first day. I wonder what would happen if I just dragged the other four into a room and sat them down and was like: "Alice, Frank is madly in love with you." "Lily, are you after Lupin?" and "Mel, you do realize that Remus is nearly falling over himself whenever your in a twenty foot radius."  
That probably wouldn't be wise.  
-Rebecca  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Today is Becca's birthday! We wrapped up her Quidditch players but they were walking around in the box so it just kept moving. Tessa and I couldn't stop giggling, some stuff still just seems so strange. We hopped into her bed and woke her up and made her open it. She seemed to really like it. Then she hopped out of bed. I'd bet you anything to run over and wish Frank happy birthday since she grabbed an envelope off her dresser. I just hope she doesn't loose points for going into the boys dormitory so early in the morning.  
Remus is back from the Hospital Wing. He told me he's fine and to just  
leave him alone about it, but I think I'll go look up illnesses in the  
library when I've got a moment. We sat together for a bit in Charms  
until we were put in pairs and that was just dreadful. Before  
Professor Flitwick began the lesson, Remus told me that he'd had a row  
with Sirius during Transfiguration, which made sense since Remus got  
yelled at in there. Professor McGonagall even took five points from  
Gryffindor because of him. Normally, I'd be rather annoyed, but he  
looked pretty upset over his disagreement with Sirius. By the time he  
got to Charms, he and Sirius were avoiding each other and James and  
Peter were avoiding both of them. But then Flitwick put us in pairs  
and Remus and Sirius got paired up, oh I felt so bad. Diary, if you  
could've seen the look on Remus's face when Flitwick put them  
together. it must have been some row. To make matters worse, he paired  
me with Potter. He's just a horror in that class. I really don't know  
what his problem is, I'm certainly not a bad partner, and I'm  
phenomenal at Charms. Actually, maybe that's the problem. He's top in  
nearly every other class and the ones he's not top in Sirius, Remus or  
Peter are. So why can't I be best at Charms? Boys. Honestly. This  
afternoon has just been a disaster. There's no way it could get any  
worse.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Hogwarts  
  
I was wrong. It's just got so much worse.  
Lily  
  
Quidditch  
  
I'm sitting in the Common Room with the rest of the Gryffindor Five and Frank. I'm so scared. Frank isn't even trying to read what I'm writing but none of us are speaking because it just seems so. wrong. to do so. So I'm writing.  
Oh Merlin. and this morning was so good, too. It's my birthday and I got my letter and. I did well in all my classes and Frank and I were teamed up together for Charms, which meant that we just got to slack off a whole lot since it was an easy charm.  
And then that stupid unbelievable git prat prick bastard of a teacher tries to teach First Years about a Class Five, at least I'm sure, creature, but goes and drops it instead and now there are only eight First Year Gryffindors.  
Here I mean. In the Common Room. ohhhhhh. Poor Peter and poor Remus.  
And it's our birthday!! This is just too horrible. I give up, I can't even write.  
-Rebecca  
  
Acid Pops  
  
We're up in the Astronomy Tower, the lot of us. Oh, today has just been dreadful. Lily led us up here about forty five minutes ago after screaming at a prefect. Lily screamed at a prefect. and we've all been so quiet since Sirius's outburst. I'm sitting with Frank, and he even has his arm around me, but it doesn't even matter at all and I can't stop shaking and crying.  
Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were both attacked by acromantula's today. They had to take Peter to St. Mungo's. St. Mungo's! Students don't have to go to the hospital because of lessons. Neither of them are well. James said, on a scale of ten, Peter was a nine. And Remus was a six. That's how unwell they are. Oh my goodness. I just can't believe.  
Poor James and Sirius, I don't even know what I'd do if anything happened Rebecca or Lily. Or Cortessa or Melissa for that matter. Oh, it must be horrible.  
James wants us to talk about something. I really can't think of anything else at the moment.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Quidditch  
  
Remus and Peter are still unconscious. Professor Kettleburn is being examined by the Ministry. Hogwarts is in a bit of an uproar. They kept it really quiet until this morning. I noticed that the Gryffindor hour glass had one hundred more points in it and I couldn't figure out how they'd gotten there until some Fifth Year told me that some First Year had nearly died trying to save his friend and Professor Kettleburn had quietly awarded the points to him after talking to the Ministry last evening. I really didn't know how to respond to that. It could very well be a rumor.  
Last evening while we tried to cheer James and Sirius up, and, in all honesty, get our own minds off of what happened, Melissa made a comment that I haven't forgotten, so I need to find out from Alice what on Earth they were talking about.  
The Venemous Tentacula tried to beat up Frank today in Herbology, which was pretty amusing.  
Well, being twelve sure hasn't been dull so far.  
Actually here comes Alice now, I think I'll go ask her.  
-Rebecca  
  
Acid Pops  
  
Oh my goodness, I'm going to kill Mel. I had to tell Becca what we were talking about the other night and it was Frank and that I. well, I like him. No point really in lying to a diary. I was so worried she'd be very mad, but she just walked away shaking her head mumbling about both of us being nutters or something. I can deal with that. As long as she doesn't tell him. I'm so sure he doesn't like me.  
I asked James Potter how Remus is doing while we were in herbology. He said that he's still unconscious and he doesn't know anything more about Peter either. He looked so sad I just wanted to give him a big hug. Both he and Sirius Black seemed rather happy that Professor Kettleburn was being investigated, but clearly it was an accident. I mean, Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone dangerous. It's not like he's a giant or something. Now they're vicious. but that doesn't apply much to the current situation.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Gryffindor  
  
Nothings new, just checking messages. -L  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Several Ravenclaws are trying to starts a school newspaper. Mel's just gone mad over the idea and told Trixie McGonagall during Transfiguration that it almost made her wish she was a Ravenclaw. So at dinner Mary Ollivander and Josephine MacDonald came over and said that one of the Ravenclaws was going to be editor in chief, but they'd decided to open all other positions to people in other houses to apply for also. I thought Melissa was going to fall over when Mary said that they'd discussed it with the current people involved and they all thought Mel might be the person to keep Hogwarts up to date with what's going on outside. She just jumped at the offer, but what really surprised me was when they asked if every once in a while I might like to contribute an article about various Charms. Josephine said that the Charms editor (apparently there will be a regular article about a different charm each edition) asked Flitwick who he would advise he asked and Flitwick recommended me very highly! And I was the only First Year he recommended at all. Apparently Otto Bagman is going to head the column. They're thinking of asking his older, Ludovic (whom I've always thought was a bit of an airhead) to work on the sports column. I asked them to pass on Rebecca's name if he needs any help. I think he's on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. anyway, I think it should be an interesting endeavor. Mel's already run off to the dormitory to start her first column. Odd to see her so focused on something that won't result in detentions, lost House points or demerits of any sort.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
That's it, I agree with Tessa about Melissa. We need to teach her some ladylike qualities. When I said that to Becca, she nearly gagged, but she wasn't in the library with us!  
Today Mel, Tessa and I went to go work on our homework in the library. Well Tessa and I worked, Mel worked on some column about the American McCarthism Era or something and how its early stages resembled something going on in the Ministry. I'm not really sure, it was dreadfully boring to me, but Robert Cage from Ravenclaw came over and talked with her about it for a bit. He seemed to find it interesting, so perhaps it's just me.  
Anyway, after he walked away we all went back to what we were doing and Mel was mumbling under her breath in that weird way she does when she's actually serious about writing or studying something (which is a rare occasion), when Bellatrix Black and Isabella Zark, both from Slytherin came in.  
At first Melissa didn't even notice them, but both of them walked over to a stack of books right behind where we were and started bad mouthing Gryffindors and Muggle borns and just about everything decent. Well, we all ignored them at first, which wasn't hard. Tessa can get very riled up, but even she seemed to think it best to just try and ignore those two prats. Melissa is just as cool as a cucumber most of the time anyway and I just tried to work on my project. This worked well until Black and Zark walked out into plain view where we could see them and suddenly Bellatrix started reliving the duel from the other night, not most of it, which would've just proven that she was an abysmal duel, but Mel's reaction when she. when she'd put the Cruciatus Curse on her. She even told Zark that she'd imitate her scream, but Madame Pince would probably kick her out of the library.  
Now, like I said, Melissa is really hard to bother, so I figured she'd just ignore it, but quick as lightening, Melissa was up across the room and had shoved Bellatrix up against the shelf of books. She had her arm pressed up against Black's neck and was cutting off her air supply and had her wand pointed at Bellatrix's forehead. Tessa and I had no idea what to do. Then she leaned over and started whispering to Black, who slowly got paler and paler until, out of nowhere, Sirius Black shows up and pulls Mel off of Bellatrix, who made a foul comment and stalked off with Isabella.  
And oh Merlin, when Mel turned around she even looked scary to me. Her jaw as set and her lips were so narrow you could barely see them and there was something in her eyes. she looked like a full fledged witch out to kill or something. It was just horrible. She grabbed her stuff and walked out of the library with Sirius chasing after her wanting to know why she tried to kill his cousin, not that he minded much, but he'd rather like to know. something along those lines.  
Sometimes Mel scares me, for someone who wasn't even raised in a magical family. she's learned a lot very quickly. I'd definitely never want to duel with her.  
Tessa reckons we should go check on her. I agree.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Oh, if that James Potter didn't have two very sick best friends, I swear I'd kill him! Why does he have to pull my pigtails every chance he gets? Oh I hate him sometimes. He dipped the tips of my hair into his ink bottle today in Defense Against the Dark Arts, my robes were soaked in ink and my hair has blue tips! Argh! I hate that boy, I really do. I'd avoid him completely if it wasn't for Remus, speaking of whom, I think I'll go visit him.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Quidditch  
  
Oh man, I think that duel may have started something really not good. Mel and that Black hag got into some sort of dispute in the library. She stalked into the library and sat down on the couch next to me and pulled out some book and hissed, "I hate that hag." And I had no idea who she was talking about until Sirius came barging in and sat down across from us on the table and asked "What was that all about?" And then Mel stalked off up into the dorms and Sirius told me what happened in the library. I just played stupid and then followed Melissa up here. She's sitting on her bed reading some book about advanced curses and counter curses, which is a really scary concept as she already knows more hexes and curses than all the Slytherins put together.  
Stupid old Bellatrix she makes Melissa act. not like Melissa. Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday, maybe I can get Frank to come and sign out a school broom to practice Quidditch for a bit in the morning.  
-Rebecca  
  
Quidditch  
  
Remus is awake! And he's going to be fine! Lily stopped into the Infirmary this morning for something and when she got back into the Common Room, she ran up to tell James and Sirius but they were gone, so she grabbed me, Frank, and Mel and we all rushed off to visit with him.  
Frank decided to be a regular old ham and imitated all of us up in the Astronomy Tower talking about the boys. Remus seemed amused and towards the end of his tirade, James and Sirius came rushing in. They both looked so happy and began apologizing about not being there when he woke up. How ridiculous, the only reason we were there was because Lily happened to be in the Hospital Wing.. what on Earth was she doing there? I'll have to ask her later. But we could all tell that the Marauder's could use some time to themselves, so the three of girls went off to meet Alice and Tessa in the library.  
I still think there may be something going on between Remus and Lily. But that's neither here nor there. And Frank joined us a little later in the library, I'm pretty sure he was going to come and sit with us, but Rob Davis and Peter Neder from Hufflepuff called him over to work with them. He kept staring over at Alice the entire time though. They're both mad. Really.  
-Rebecca  
  
Hogwarts  
  
Oh diary, today has been wonderful and horrible. Remus is awake! Oh goodness, that just makes absolutely everything tolerable. I've missed him so much. It's so different having a friend who's a boy, they're so sensible when girls go all emotional and I've missed talking to him so much.  
I think Becca is suspicious as to why I was in the Hospital Wing when Remus woke up and I know I should tell her. well both of them, especially Alice since she seemed to feel all alone, and she might even be able to help, since she's already been through this a few times, but. it's just so embarrassing. And Madame Pomfrey made me send an owl home to my mum. And then she just gushed about becoming a woman and how we all grow up so fast around here and I just wanted to melt into the floor. Or curl up in a little ball, holding my stomach and crying, because what they ever so conveniently forget to tell you is that "becoming a woman" hurts! And they tell you it doesn't. Bull. Complete and total bull. Madame Pomfrey said they're just cramps and gave me a potion that really did help a lot, but it's just been a dreadfully trying day. I'm going to have to learn how to brew that potion because I don't want to have to go announce it to her every month. Every month. oh this is just dreadful. Alice was spot on, I'd just rather never have children than endure this. And I still don't see at all how they're connected.  
We were all studying for a bit in the library but the potion started to wear off and I just wanted to sleep, so I told them all I was tired and made my way back here to the dormitory. James was playing Exploding Snap with a Second Year, Doris Crockford, I think, and the blasted thing went off when I walked by and I've just got such a headache. well, I'm afraid I was rather short with him for no real good reason. I should apologize. Perhaps later, I really just want to take a nap now. When Alice gets back I'll ask her if she knows how to brew that potion.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
Poor Lily, she's ill or something, asleep in the middle of the afternoon when there's still work to do. I hope she's not dying. Just kidding, really, but Lily never leaves homework to the last minute. Even when Nackle poisoned her a few weeks ago to test antidotes and Malfoy screwed his up on purpose and she had to drink it and she spent two days in the Hospital Wing, she somehow managed to get all her work done. Oh, she's stirring, I'm going to go check on her. Be back in a moment, diary.  
-  
Oh my, really poor Lily. Well, as it does happen, I do know how to brew that potion, so I'd best get to it for her. I'll teach her how to do it herself when she's feeling more human. Although, as much as I hate to condemn anyone to this torture, it is nice to not be the only one going through it anymore.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Quidditch  
  
How odd is this? I never want to do anything girly, and Alice and Lily have both thoroughly convinced me that there really is nothing friendly about this "friend" but. I feel rather left out. I'm sure as soon as I'm afflicted I'll look back on this and want to knock myself on the head, but. oh how stupid.  
I'm going to go out and play Quidditch with Frank, Sirius and James said they wanted to come along too. James is actually trying to talk Tessa and Melissa into coming. If he succeeds I'll eat one of the school brooms. Tessa hates Flying lessons, she thinks they mess up her hair and, although Melissa, unlike Lily, will never admit it, I suspect she's scared of height also, which is an absolute shame. She was explaining football to us and she sounds as though she'd make a smashing Keeper. if Quidditch were on the ground. Which it's not. So never mind all that. Well, I'm off.  
-Rebecca  
  
Quidditch  
  
James was complaining about Lily on the way out to the equipment shed. He wanted to know what her problem was. For some reason I just couldn't stop laughing. I'd never stopped to think of all the crazy things the boys have to deal with when we're in a snit. Of course, I didn't tell him. Lily would skin me alive. she probably actually knows a spell to do that, and if she doesn't Mel does, so. I just feigned ignorance.  
Anyway, the boys did get Mel and Tessa to come out but neither of them played, they sat in the stands talking. I have no idea what, but Mel refereed a bit for us whenever we needed it, she seems to understand the rules well enough. And I was wrong, she did admit that she doesn't like height. When Sirius started pestering her to go get a broom and referee from the air she just flat out told him, "I've got far more spectacular plans for my own demise than falling fifty feet from a broom, thank you very much. I am not a fan of heights." Tessa laughed at her but Sirius just shrugged and said she'd better not mess up the calls from the ground then.  
The two of them were very giggly on the way back in (James and Sirius beat Frank and I. oh the shame of it all). So I felt left out of being a girl again, I mean, Mel is just about never all giggly. Oh, I bet both of them have got it too, and I'm the only one who's still just a little girl. This is unbelievable. I need to go do. something. Alice is setting up a chess set, I think I'll go ask her to play winner. Who is she. oh. Frank. Well, never mind that idea then. Fine, fine. I'll just go to the library. Silly little Rebecca will just go study. Fine. And those two are still giggling in the corner and I swear they just looked over at James and Sirius sitting in the other corner studying. Oh Merlin, they've pulled Melissa to the dark side. I give up.  
-Rebecca 


	6. “Alright then, Alice?”

Hogwarts  
  
I feel a little better today. I think Rebecca is upset over something. She seemed exceedingly edgy last night, maybe she's. well, I was edgy last week. but she'd tell us if she was, I think. But maybe not, I didn't really want to, I just had no choice.  
She seemed even more annoyed when Tessa and Melissa came in later giggling. But then she seemed a lot happier when they told her that they'd just let loose a couple of nifflers in the dungeons near the Slytherin Common Room and earlier in the day they'd put leprechaun gold in several of the Slytherins cloaks.  
Those two are just too much sometimes, but at least they didn't loose any points for Gryffindor today and I imagine it must've been some sight to see someone like Dolores Umbridge dealing with a niffler trying to get at her pockets.  
They're still cackling, but it's kind of nice to see Mel so happy after all this Bellatrix Black business. Even if the happiness is based on childish pranks. She'd of made a phenomenal Marauder if those boys accepted girls into their little club. Well, I'm going to take a nap. Yes, another one. But I have finished all my homework for the weekend and read ahead for the work this week. The other four think I'm nuts for doing that every weekend. Especially Melissa, whom I have not yet once seen her actually study by her own will. I mean, she does her homework and she pays attention in class, but she never studies unless I just about threaten her with death and even then, I have to watch her because she'll pull out a book and look like she's really studying, but she's not. She's reading something for fun. And she still passes everything somehow. I'll never understand how she manages that. At first I thought it was since her mum is a witch. but plenty of students from families where both their parents are magical spend hours studying. It amazes me.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Hogwarts  
  
I can't believe this. I just got a B in Potions. A B!  
And what's this? Melissa just got an owl from home, with a package. Be right back, diary.  
-  
Oh Merlin, I hadn't realized that her parents actually encourage her eccentric ways. They sent her a shirt with a little note "Saw this and thought of you, knew you'd love it." Well, they were right. It's this hideously bright red Hawaiian shirt with big white flowery things on it. it's almost an eyesore just to look at. Oh bother, and it's the weekend, so she can wear it around and no one will yell at her for being out of uniform. Oh hold on, this is just too much, the shirt actually made her want to get done up for dinner. She actually agreed to let Tessa mess with her hair and face, so now apparently all of us are going to get done up a bit. I'll write later.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
Oh my goodness, tonight has been so much fun and who would've thought that it was all Mel's doing?!?  
Her mum and dad sent her this shirt that looked positively hideous in the package, but Melissa just about went mad over it. She actually let Tessa do up her hair, even though they fought over that bit. It was amusing.  
"Mel, just let me slick it and wear it down, it'll look so good like that!"  
"That's so impractical. I'll wind up eating my hair at supper! Tell them Lily, you like to leave you hair all practical, too."  
Lily wouldn't answer though, she just looked torn between laughing and shaking her head at us behaving like such children.  
"No, Tess. Pull it up or something. You always moan about how I don't even pull it up neatly, so just pull it up neatly, alright? And don't go overboard with that Maximus Factorius, I hate that stuff and I'm just gonna have to scrub it all off after dinner."  
Well, I knew Tessa was good with hair and make-up, but I assure you, diary, she's a miracle worker. She'll easily have a career in cosmetics when she graduates if she wants.  
First she dumped nearly half a bottle of Sleekeazy's potion into Mel's hair which made Mel sputter and yell. It was just too funny. Becca even took a few pictures, but I almost wish there was a way of recording it like a movie, it was just so amusing. Then she brushed it out and Tess was right, Mel's hair looks really pretty when it's all straight and shiny, it's this really weird shade of red and brown mixed together with blonde highlights, and you just don't notice it in the same way when she pulls it back in those ponytails the way she does.  
So then Tess showed her a mirror and said, "See, I told you! It looks lovely that way!"  
And Mel glared at her and said, "If you don't pull all this hair out of my face in the next ten seconds I will go shove my head under the faucet, I swear."  
And the other three of us laughed, since we were sitting on Lily's bed across from the two of them and Tessa sighed and started pulling Melissa's hair into pigtails like Lily's, but higher on her head, since Lily's are usually so low. And just when she finished Mel was just about jumping out of the chair, but Tessa put her hand on her should and pushed her back down saying they weren't done yet.  
The whole time Melissa was shooting Becca, Lily and myself looks like "get me out of here". While she was doing that, Tessa was winding the long pigtails into two buns on top of Mel's head and when she was done, they looked a little bit like bear ears, but on the back of her head. The strange thing though was, that they looked cute on her. Even Mel didn't have some sort of cynical comment when Tessa showed her her hair in the mirror.  
"Practical and pretty, Mel. I keep telling you, it can be done." Then she starting rooting through her make up bag and Mel looked like she was ready to run. I think the hair and make up combination was a bit too much for her to handle. Finally Tessa straightened back up holding mascara and told Mel to open her eyes.  
It took like ten tries since Melissa kept blinking but finally it was on. Heh, Mel looked so annoyed though. Then Tessa stood back up again and I think Mel was about to fight her but Tessa just said, "This is it, just a bit of lip gloss and it's a really light tint since that shirt is so." and Tessa looked over at Melissa's bed like it had fungus growing on it, which made Mel laugh and agree to put on the lip gloss.  
I thought we were done then, so I got up to move and Tessa grabbed my shoulders and said, "Next!" and pushed me into her chair. I was so surprised. Then she circled me like a hawk and I could easily see how Mel had been nervous before. She dove back into her trunk and pulled out another bottle.  
"Never works on me, my hair is so straight it won't even give in to this potion, but it should work on you." She dumped some Crabby Christie's Cover-All Curls potion into her hands and worked it through my hair. "You're so lucky, Alice. You have such curly hair even without much work it still looks good, but with a little work, we can make it look spectacular." Then she chuckled and said, "Frank will never know what hit him."  
So I gasped and said, "Tessa!"  
And she said, "Oh what? We know you like him, so clearly you want him to notice you." Then she addressed Becca, "Really now Becca, can you think of a better girlfriend for your brother?" I turned so red and all the while Cortessa was just calm as a cucumber working that stupid potion through my hair.  
Rebecca looked over at me and grinned and said, "Actually, I guess I can't." I think I went even redder, but in a weird was it was nice to have her approval to like her brother.  
Then Tessa put on some blush and lipstick and said that my eyes were so pretty they didn't need any work and sent me over to my trunk to find something special to wear to dinner. She forbid me to pick anything Hawaiian though, even though I told her I didn't own anything like Mel's shirt (which by this time she was sitting on Lily's bed holding it happily in her lap).  
Then Tessa grabbed Lily and made her over too. She pulled her hair down and dumped the rest of the Sleekeazy potion into her hair and brushed it straight out and pulled back part of the sides into braids and pinned them together in back with a barrette. She looked like a medieval princess. Then she put mascara on her and a little bit of green eye shadow and told her to wear that green jumper of hers.  
After that she turned to put all her stuff away and then turned back at the last minute to Rebecca and said, "I don't suppose anything I'd say could make you want to act girly even for just one night?"  
And then, to all of our shock, Rebecca just hopped up from Lily's bed and into Tessa's chair and said, "Do your magic. well, you know what I mean." I really don't know who was most surprised in the room, because even Becca looked shocked that she'd just done that.  
Unlike with the rest of us, Tessa curled Becca's hair by heating up her wand, kind of a play on the Muggle hair curler things and left all these loose curls all around her head and then made two tight curls framing her face. After she finished Tessa's hair, she tossed her the same lip gloss she'd put on Melissa and told her to put on some and take the extra off her lips and smear it into her cheeks.  
The rest of us all got changed while Tessa quickly fixed her own hair and make up. She did a lot more to herself than to any of us, but she's so practiced at it that she managed to do it very quickly.  
What a sight the five of us were, standing in front of the door. Lily was wearing a very pretty green jumper and with her hair and make up the way it was, she really did look like a princess. Then she grinned and it was just the same old Lily. Becca pulled on a pair of jeans and an old peasant blouse that I'd never seen her wear before, and while it was really simple, it made her look so much older. Then she giggled and, just like Lily, she was the same old Becca. Tessa looked her normal pretty self, but for once we actually looked like we belonged with her. And Mel, wow. You'd think that she would've looked crazy with her hair looking like a bear and in that mad shirt, but she actually looked. she had some sort of. sometime about the way she looked made me want to go over and sit and chat with her. And when she smiled and laughed, she didn't quite seem like the same old Mel, she seemed, older, but not just that, like she actually was more mature. In that mad outfit of all things, if any one of the four of us had put it on, it would've looked crazy, but on her it looked just right. I had on a simple blue smock that I'd gotten over winter break for that stupid ballet thing, but I had managed to sever off those horrid bows.  
Tessa turned around to scope us all out before we left the room and her eyes went wide and she made the strangest comment.  
"This is us in ten years guys. You see why I like make up and hair potions so much now? Can you all see yourselves? I mean, I know you're exactly the same on the inside, but you're carrying yourselves in entirely different ways." Then she just smiled and opened the door and we all headed down to the dining hall.  
I really think we turned every boy's head that we walked past. It was amazing. I've never felt so. pretty. Two Ravenclaw Seventh Years even gave us appreciative glances when we passed the library.  
Anyway, when we finally got into the Great Hall, we sat down and the Gryffindor table was mostly empty, which I thought would've bothered Tessa after all the work she'd gone through to make us pretty, but she seemed perfectly content.  
Then the Marauder's walked in with Frank. I think that the three of them nearly fell over. Sirius shook it off first and came over and sat down next to Tessa. Frank and James just stood in the doorway like they'd been hit by thunder bolts and at first I was sure that it was because Frank wasn't used to seeing his sister looking all girly, but then I noticed that he hadn't even glanced at her, he was looking at me. ME! Oh, I wanted to hug Tessa for making me look pretty and hug Melissa for getting that dopey shirt that made us all get dressed up and hug Mr. and Mrs. Denezyuk for seeing that mad garment and mailing it to her. Then he walked up and asked if he could sit next to me. And, so help me Merlin, I froze. But fortunately for me, Becca grinned at her brother and was like "Of course." And then I wanted to kick myself because I knew he would sit down on the other side of Becca, but bless her, she slid down, so the only seat open by us was in between the two of us and Frank beamed at her and then sat down. He really did want to sit down next to me.  
A couple of seconds later, we all realized that James was still standing in the doorway, but none of us could figure out who he was staring at, so we think maybe it was just all of us as he's so unaccustomed to seeing us like this. Then he like shook his head a bit and walked over and sat on the other side of Becca. She turned bright red when he said she looked very pretty, but I don't think he meant anything more than the obvious, and she agrees.  
The best part though was after dinner, we all walked out of the Great Hall and Tessa and Sirius were just. gone. I still have no idea where they went, I'll have to ask her in a bit. But the other four of us girls were just standing there with James and Frank and then James said, "I think I'm going to go visit Remus, goodnight guys. Well, girls. I mean. er." and he walked away stammering, which made me giggle.  
Then Peter Bell walked by with Alan Beamish, both of whom are on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and they asked Becca if she wanted to come out and fly with them for a bit, to get in some practice and, well, knowing Becca, she jumped at the chance to play Quidditch with people who really know what they're doing. And Lily, in her ever sensible mode, had nicked a hair scrunchie off her desk before leaving the dormitory and put it around her wrist, pulled it off and gave it to Becca saying her hair would probably drive her mad while flying. A second after that Becca was racing off after Peter and Alan shooting questions at them while pulling up her hair at the same time.  
Then it was Lily, Mel, Frank and me left standing there awkwardly and Lily muttered something about homework and raced off. probably to put her hair back in pigtails and wash off any remaining make up. And Mel looked at me and grinned and said, "Alright then, Alice?" And it was like some code that I just intuitively knew she was asking me if I was alright to be left alone with Frank and. well, I was scared to death, but I was. So I said, "Alright then, Mel." And she said she was going to pop in and visit Remus, too. That boy is in for a very pleasant shock.  
Then it was me and Frank and I was so sure he was going to go running off somewhere but instead he asked me if I wanted to go for a walk since we still had some time until curfew. Oh goodness, I nearly forgot how my legs even worked for a second.  
We walked around the castle and even outside for more than two hours, we were even late getting back to the Common Room and we talked about everything, absolutely everything. From Hogwarts and teachers and classes, to our friends, to current events and that nutter Voldemort and that idiot Minister Fudge, to our pasts and our childhoods, to the future. I think I have fallen completely and totally in love with him. Of course, I didn't tell him that and he never tried to even so much as hold my hand, but I'm so glad he didn't because what's the likeliness of a relationship lasting six and a half years until we graduate? I'd rather wait for him. I fully intend to marry that boy. The others are going to think I'm nutters, but I don't think I've ever felt happier in my life. Oh, Lily is cross examining Melissa and Tessa on where they've been all evening. I want in on this.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Hogwarts  
  
The complete and total lack of common sense that Tessa shows at times seriously worries me. Up in the Astronomy Tower snogging Sirius Black. She's lost it. She's not even twelve yet. And Mel is just amused. You'd think she'd be more worried about the virtues of her best friend. I suspect there may be more going on in Mel's love life than she lets on to also, if this doesn't shock her.  
And Alice wandering the grounds with Frank until all hours of the night. Well, not all hours, till quarter after nine, but that's nearly three hours! What did they manage to do all that time?  
I can't believe Tessa's kissed a boy. Oh how odd, and I do bet this is all only going to get odder as we get older. Who wants to kiss anyone, anyhow? It's all wet and what if they've got bad breath and really now, what is the point in trying to nearly eat someone else's face? This is all beyond me. But Tessa is over there giggling like a madman and Alice's head is off in Never-Never Land. How did boys manage to make them so mad?  
And Melissa is rather happy for having just returned from visiting a very sick friend, you'd think she'd be more. just not so blasted happy. And Becca is looking far too happy too.  
Why is everyone being happy driving me mad? That's just mad. Mad. Mad. Mad. Maybe I'm going mad and they're all normal. Or maybe it's just those blasted hormones at work again. At any rate. I feel the urge to resign from the human race.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Quidditch  
  
Oh Merlin, I had the best time tonight! After dinner (which was an ordeal itself, we all got dressed up because of some ridiculous shirt Mel got in the mail from her mum and dad) Peter Bell and Alan Beamish walked by and asked if I wanted to go work on some Quidditch moves with both of them. They both know I'm hoping to make the team next year as I've been rather loud about it. Bell is the shoe in for captain next term and he's really quite good. And Beamish is a fantastic Chaser. Anyway we tried out different plays for nearly two hours. It feels so much more natural for me to be flying on a broom getting knocked around by bludgers than it does wearing make up and curly hair, although that hair trick was rather cool. I may have to ask Tessa how to do it. just for future knowledge and all.  
Anyway, the best part was when they both said if I practiced over the summer I'd probably be picked as one of the Chasers. How fantastic is that?!? And when we got back into the tower I saw Alan and Peter go over to Margaret Bell, Peter's little sister (a Fourth Year) and start talking excitedly, pointing at me. And Margaret looked like she was nodding in agreement, which would just be great, since she's a Chaser, too. Oh I really hope I make the teams.  
I wonder why everyone else is so happy. I hope they all had evenings as good as mine.  
-Rebecca  
  
Hogwarts  
  
It's been a few days, well weeks, really. You wouldn't believe the homework pile up we're getting recently! Sirius and James caused such a commotion today in Potions. They both claimed it was an accident, but I think they did it for some reason. You know, I almost feel sorry for Snape sometimes. Almost. Of course, then I remember he tried to hex more than one of my friends into oblivion on more than one occasion and that bought of sympathy tends to shrivel up. Easter holidays are coming up in a few weeks. I'm pretty excited about that. I liked all the free time to work on my studies. But I've really got to put in more work on Potions. Another B today. I nearly cried in class. Mel thinks I'm absolutely mad but she's got an A average in there and Alice was so nice that I felt like an idiot when I remembered that neither she nor Tessa tend to do very well in there.  
Goodness, anyway.  
Remus said he'll probably be out of the Hospital Wing in a few more days, which is nice.  
I really can't spend anymore time writing this evening. I just can't believe the amount of homework I have this week. Alice looks like she's near ready to crack and Becca keeps staring longingly out the window, like she wishes she could just grab a broom and fly away. I'm already beginning to dread O.W.L.s. The Fifth and Seventh Years are beginning to get a little scary about their studies.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Acid Pops  
  
The Forgetfulness Potion can be very dangerous if brewed incorrectly. It can lead to complete and total memory loss like that of the obliviate spell. The side effects have not all been recorded yet, but they are numerous, the most obvious being that the person who ingested the potion become forgetful. How forgetful they get is increased as the amount of potion ingested increases.  
The main ingredients for a Forgetfulness Potion are Abyssinian shrivelfig, essence of Belladonna, Erumpet tails and daisy roots. As with most poisons, this potion can be counteracted with a bezoar.  
-  
Oh goodness, I thought this was my Potions notebook. Oh. I need to go to sleep!  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Acid Pops  
  
It's Saturday! It's Saturday! It's Saturday! It's Saturday! Two full days to work on homework. Oh, finally the weekend. I thought I was going to loose it back around Wednesday evening. That horrid little Potions excerpt that wound up in here I only got a C on. Ugh. Frank and I are going to go work on our Herbology in the library.  
Oh goodness, on Thursday I walked past the library and Frank was studying with his friends, the Robs, and he looked up when I walked by and he smiled and waved at me. I thought I was going to melt. I told Lily all about it (partially because I figured Becca would rather not know details about how I feel) and she looked at me like I was a lunatic. I guess she just doesn't understand.  
Always,  
Alice  
  
Hogwarts  
  
I keep falling farther and farther behind in Potions. This is absolutely horrible. I'm doing fine in all my other classes but now I've got a low B average in there and pretty soon it'll be a C, I just know it. The whole class is doing badly except for Potter, Black and Mel and Mel tries to help me, but she just. understands. so she can't explain it well. Ahhhhhh. I hate potions!  
Remus is supposed to come back tomorrow. I went to go visit him today, but Madame Pomfrey said he was resting and I couldn't disturb him. How odd, she's always allowed us to go in and sit and wait for him to wake up.  
I found some strange closet today while I was lost. You'd think seven plus months in a place and I'd know my way around, but I opened it and it was a small closet, but when I walked past there again latter, it was gone.  
  
I overheard those idiots (Potter and Black) talking a few days ago in the corner. They were analyzing us, Sirius's silly little 'Gryffindor Five'. It was. odd. I knew I shouldn't listen, but I stayed low in the chair I was sitting in because I was curious. I mean, wouldn't you be? Most of the First Year girls are madly in love with those two goons. And, can you believe it, they started talking about me! Sirius was actually very nice. he thinks I'll be pretty someday. I think he's loony and that I'll never be what a boy like him would consider pretty, but it was a nice thought. Of course that jerk Potter laughed when he said that. Then Sirius said Mel would have boys after her someday when boys get over thinking that looks are everything, because Mel's everything else. And James actually agreed with that. So do I, so I hope for Melissa's sake, some of the boys get over looks really soon. Although, when she wants to Melissa can be very pretty. Sirius already thinks Tessa's pretty. I should really tell her that, I'm pretty sure she likes him. Apparently Rebecca passed the Black muster and for whatever reason, they didn't talk about Alice. But James said that he would probably want to date a girl like Becca, easy going and sporty like. He likes the way she handles herself on a broom, he said. Then Sirius started teasing him and James said he didn't like her, but if he liked anyone was what he meant and then the two of them left the Common Room.  
Well it's nice to know someone like Becca is his type, that means I'm safe. Becca and I are complete opposites. I'm not the least bit easy going and sporty is the last word anyone would use to describe me.  
Thank goodness I don't like any boys. They're so stupid, I swear.  
-  
Oh goodness, Mel just walked in with a black eye and her glasses are missing. She looks like she's out for blood. I'd best go try and calm her down.  
-  
She told me to shut up and then she left! Unbelievable.  
Well I've got homework to do.  
Love from,  
Lily  
  
Quidditch  
  
I've been so busy with homework and Quidditch practices (the team lets me practice with them now sometimes!) that I haven't written in ages. I checked the group part and no one's even left a message or anything. I guess we've all been crazily busy. Me with homework and Quidditch, Alice with homework and Frank, and Lily with homework and. more homework probably. And some deranged argument she's been having with James Potter recently. Very odd those two. If they keep up like this, I don't think they'll both survive till Seventh Year. and my money's on Lily if that happens.  
But now I'm sitting in the Common Room. Lily and Alice are upstairs trying to get through yet another Potions essay from the evil Nackle but Tessa and I are down here trying to calm Melissa down. Apparently she had another altercation out in the corridors and James and Sirius just walked in and are heading our way, I don't know if that's wise.  
Well, there you go, Sirius has settled himself with his arm around Tessa and Mel seems okay with the boys being here. I don't have anything to really add to the conversation, but I figured I could at least sit here for moral support or something. Oh, good, she's finally going to give up details.  
-  
Oh Merlin, the look on Sirius's face when she spit out "that Narcissa bitch". Now Melissa is a whole lot more. forward thinking. than the rest of us, and hearing her swear occasionally is not all that odd, but that particular word, I've never heard her use. And I was even more surprised because usually it's Bellatrix.  
Anyway, she said that she was walking back from the kitchens and ran into Narcissa and Goyle snogging in the hallway and she said it was just such an odd sight that she couldn't help but laugh. "Well, the two of them jumped apart and then Narcissa saw it was me, she got so mad she walked right up to me and said, 'Got a problem, Denezyuk, or do you want your butt kicked again by another Slytherin?'" "So I said, 'Clearly you heard an incorrect version of the story, because I kicked your sister's butt from here to Durmstrang. If I were you I wouldn't want to test that.'" "Then she pulled out her wand and pointed it at me, but before she could even do that Goyle stepped forward and hit me with one hell of a right hook. Knocked my glasses off and I wound up right on the floor and the two of them walked away laughing, I heard a crunch and I'm betting they stepped right onto my glasses and crumbled them, but I wouldn't know since I couldn't find them." Then Mel grimaced and looked in my direction and said, "I'm blind as a bat. What am I supposed to do about that?" Well I didn't know and neither did Tessa but Sirius jumped up from the couch and just said "Wait here" and stalked out the door. Now we're all just sitting here waiting for him to get back.  
- Oh Merlin, Sirius looks worse than Mel. Tessa just ran off up the stairs to get Catriona Marsh, she said that she knows lots of medical spells and won't ask questions. He just crawled through the portrait and handed her her glasses and collapsed on the couch.  
Good, here comes Catriona and she's got her wand. She'll fix him up in a moment. Thank goodness Tessa knows so many people.  
Sirius and James just left to go upstairs and none of the three of us can figure out how he got Mel's glasses back. Catriona even fixed Melissa's black eye before going upstrairs shaking her head and muttering about 'mad First Years'.  
Oh goodness diary, you know Mel just said?  
"What do you suppose would happen if I turned those Black twins and that goon Goyle into flobberworm and slipped them in with the others in Care of Magical Creatures?"  
And Tessa said, "There would probably be fees associated with that, maybe a little jail time."  
And both of those lunatics just laughed and headed upstairs. They worry me. I'd best get some sleep too.  
-Rebecca 


	7. “… Twin secret I promise”

**Acid Pops**

    Gosh, I forgot to mention that this past weekend James and Sirius went to go visit Peter Pettigrew again and they said he's awake and doing better, which is really good.   
    Diary, you won't believe what happened tonight while Tessa and Mel were studying for Herbology with Sirius and James (we've got these horrid projects to do in there, they're just so dull). Anyway, Tessa _kissed_ Sirius Black (on the lips!!) and now they're going out! Can you believe that? It wasn't like the night she went temporarily mad and snogged him in the Astronomy Tower. _No_, she kissed him in front of the whole Common Room. Mel said it was actually rather amusing.   
    I hope someday Frank kisses me. Oh, I'd be lighter than air. But Tessa doesn't seem very happy. She said she just declared that they were in a relationship and she's not so sure she wants to be in. Boy, do I ever understand that feeling!   
    Oh gosh, Lily just went downstairs to try and find one of her books and ran back up here and told us all that Remus is back and he's sitting over with the Marauder's laughing.   
    Good, it's been odd not seeing the four of them all connected at the hip. At least there's three now. I'm sure Peter will be back soon.   
        Always,  
            Alice

**Quidditch**

    Alan Beamish asked me if I wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him next weekend after practice. It was so weird. First of all, I can't. I'm only a First Year, which I told him and then he turned bright red and said he'd forgotten. Then he rushed away. Secondly though, why would he want to go to Hogsmeade with me? Boys are so weird.   
    I was going to ask the girls about this, but I thought… I just didn't want to. But I ran into Frank on the way back from practice and he asked me how it's going so… I asked him. It was an odd conversation:   
    "Frank, when you ask a girl to go to Hogsmeade, what do you mean? Do you just mean, hey pal, let's go wander around Hogsmeade… or do you mean more?"  
    "I can't ask anyone to go to Hogsmeade, as I can't go. You have to be in your Third Year, you know that."  
    "No, I know. I was just wondering though, if you were asking a girl something like that, what would you mean behind that?"  
    "Well… if I asked you clearly I'd just mean let's go wander around Hogsmeade…"  
    "Yea…"  
    "Did someone ask you to go to Hogsmeade? You know you can't."  
    "I know I can't. It doesn't matter. Nevermind."  
    "No, tell me. Who asked you to go to Hogsmeade?"  
    "_Nevermind_, Frank. Just forget about it."  
    "No, I want to know. They had to be at least a Third Year. I didn't know you knew many people outside of First Year. Who?"  
    "So how's Alice, Frank?"  
    "You're her best friend, I suspect you'd know better than I would."  
    "Would I though?"  
    "What are you playing at?"  
    "I don't know, what am I playing at?"  
    "Tell me who asked you to Hogsmeade!"  
    "Tell me what's going on with you and Alice!"  
    "Nothing."  
    "No one."  
    "You're lying."  
     "So are you."  
    "Alice and I are just friends."  
    "Really? So are me and Alice and we don't take long walks and stare vacantly at each other."  
    "I _don't_ stare vacantly. Who are you going to Hogsmeade with?"  
    "If you're really 'just friends' with her, you ought to inform her of that. I'm rather sure she wishes you were more."  
    "Really? You really think so?"  
    "You dope. I knew you liked her."  
    "I never said that."  
    "Most people's faces don't light up like that when someone just mentions someone else."  
    "Well, I'm not going out with her."  
    "Why not?"  
    "…"  
    "That's not an answer, Frank."  
    "She matters."  
    "And that answer makes no sense."  
    "Everyone is starting to date everyone and nothing _lasts_. Do you understand? I'd rather wait…"  
    "You want it to last with Alice? Are you implying what I think you are implying?"  
    "Well… yea. But _don't_ tell her that. It's a twin secret, okay?"  
    "…"  
    "Becca! It's a twin secret, okay? I'll tell her someday, I really will. Just don't tell her for me. Promise me?"  
    "… Twin secret. I promise."  
    "Now who are you going to Hogsmeade with?"  
    "No one, we've been over this. I can't go to Hogsmeade."  
    "Well if you could, who would you be going with?"  
    "No one, I don't know if I would've agreed to go, since I didn't know what he meant by asking me, which was all I wanted you to tell me."  
    "Well who was it?"  
    "Why does that matter?"  
    "Because it does."  
    "Alan Beamish."  
    "From the Quidditch team?"  
    "Yup."  
    "I think he wanted to go on a date with you, but you shouldn't go with him."  
    "What? Why not?"  
    "Because… he dates everyone. And I heard he had six toes on each foot."  
    "_What_? He does _not_ have six toes on each foot!"  
    "Well… maybe not, but I did hear that once. But he really has dates lots of girls. I don't think… unless you _really_ like him… I don't think you should… encourage him."  
    "I don't really like him like that. He's nice enough but… no. And I never did _anything_ to encourage him."  
    "Okay, okay. Listen, I've got to go meet Rob and Rob in the Great Hall to study a bit. I'll talk to you later. You won't tell Alice, right?"   
    "I promised, didn't I? See you, Frank."  
    "Later, Beck."   
    So that was that and apparently a Third Year likes me. Tessa would probably be proud. Maybe I'm not so childish after all. It was amusing listening to Frank try and protect me… I almost feel bad for any boy that I might someday date. Six toes… really now. And I had no idea he was so mad over Alice… she could wind up being my sister-in-law someday, which would actually be quite cool. Well, that's my odd day in a nutshell.   
            -Rebecca

**Hogwarts**

    This week has been absolutely fantastic! Aside from the whole new Tessa and Sirius drama, this week has been smashing. I'm doing so well in all my classes. My Cheering Charm is perfect and my mouse turned into the greatest little dollhouse, it was even furnished! In Herbology, Alice has been my partner, which is always great because the two of us work so well in there together and Care of Magical Creatures, there were unicorns! Unicorns! They were just so beautiful.   
    The absolute best part of it though was that Remus accidentally lit a candle in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and before the professor could put it out, it knocked out Remus, Sirius, James and Professor Shacklebolt! Now I'm sorry we missed our lesson and I'm sorry Remus got knocked out, but a James and Sirius free day? Phenomenal.  
    Oh goodness, it's so cold. I think Becca and Alice just went to go and find a prefect to put a warming charm on our dorm.   
    Mel and Tessa just got back from raiding the kitchens… and now Tessa's headed out to meet Sirius somewhere. Really, what do they do all those times they spend together? They can't possibly be snogging _all_ that time.   
    Tomorrow night we're having a study session with the Marauders. There are so many tests coming up soon! And finals are beginning to sneak up (well, in like 10 weeks, but really, they'll be here in no time).  
        Love from,  
            Lily

**Acid Pops**

    Melissa seems very worried about something, but she won't tell the rest of us what it is. I really hope she's alright. She's been pacing around the room for nearly an hour now and just grinned and told me she needed exercise when I asked what was wrong.   
    Lily is beginning to get on my nerves with this whole James drama. Last week she caught James setting Dungbombs off in one of the corridors and reported it to a Prefect. They've barely spoken a word to one another since. She keeps telling us not to _fraternize_ with the enemy, but she means _all_ the Marauders. I've got nothing against any of them really and I don't know what she's got with Peter, Remus and Sirius.   
    Lunacy, all of it.   
        Always,  
            Alice

**Hogwarts**

    I _hate_ James Potter. Stupid Tessa and Stupid Sirius, if the two of them weren't… you know, exactly what are they doing? Ugh, I don't even want to think about it.   
    You know what that horrible Potter said to me today?  
    "You? Having trouble in class? Should I head up to my room now? As I recall, last time that happened I nearly wound up with a concussion during one of your temper tantrums."  
    He made fun of me when I was asking him for help in potions! I know he does well in there! I was just hoping someone could explain these idiotic potions to me!  
    So, I said to him, "You'd make fun of me when I need help?"  
    And you know what he said back? "To begin with, I find it hard to believe you actually need help. I find it more likely that no one would go within ten feet of you when you're studying and this is a ploy to get someone, _anyone_, to work with you."   
    Can you believe what that prat told me?!? And he was going to add a second point too, but I wasn't going to let him go any farther.  
    I just burst into tears and ran up to my dorm. Oh that insufferable _horror_, I just needed some help! Why does he act so terrible?   
    Alice and Tessa keep saying it's because he likes me that he acts like that but what sort of incompetent idiot behaves like _that_? Normal people don't do that! And I _don't_ like him. Ugh. Potter. Ugh. He better _not_ like me! Ever. Oh I give up, I'll be civil to him since all our friends are friends, but I'm certainly not ever going to go out of my way for him! No sir.   
    From this moment on, I'm renouncing James Potter, as long as he leaves me alone, I'll leave him alone.   
        Love from,  
            Lily

**Quidditch**

    Right, so I've just gotten back from six hours of detention. James, Sirius and Remus are definitely going to be hearing from Tessa and me, those dumb gits.   
    I'd bet all the money in Hogsmeade that at least one of those three are responsible for what happened to Filch's cat, it wasn't either of _us_!   
    I'm so bloody sick of detentions for things I didn't do. I mean, admittedly, I was about to toss a Dungbomb at Snape, but Tessa was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and I never even did manage to toss the thing! Filch shrieked at me, screaming something about evidence and hauled the two of us off to his office.  
    Now neither Tessa nor I could figure out what happened until we walked into Filch's office and there's Mrs. Norris in her little cat basket thing… bald. Well, I couldn't help myself, I just started laughing. Filch turned bright red and started shrieking that it was an admission of guilt, but… I couldn't stop, I mean… Mrs. Norris… bald.   
    Anyway, for that little stunt, which _we did not pull_, Tessa and I pickled worms for six hours in the dungeons with Nackle hovering over us the whole time.   
    It was the Marauder's. I'm sure. Who else would manage to pull that off and not get caught? _And_ I'm going to get them back. Eventually. I've got homework to do now, at least Easter Holidays start tomorrow. Thank Merlin.  
            -Rebecca 


	8. I don’t speak Swahili!

**Acid Pops**

    Wow, I just had this talk with Mel about what we wanted to be when we grow up and she said she wanted to do something like her mom and I didn't know what her mother does, so I asked.  
    Mel's mum helped Dumbledore fight Grindelwald! Can you believe that? And now she's a homemaker. It's absolute insanity. Mel laughed when I said that. I mean, she said Dumbledore was the _one_ who defeated him, but they were part of some sort of Order thing that he unofficially organized. It's just too cool.   
    But then Mel got kind of quiet so I started asking her about how her mum wound up a homemaker and she said it was because her mum fell in love with her dad and he's a Muggle… so since Mrs. Denezyuk never even told her husband until Melissa got her letter from Hogwarts, her mum couldn't do much of anything in the magical world.   
    Then she said that since her dad knows now and doesn't really care, her mum looked into getting more involved and told me that Dumbledore approached her about doing a bit of looking into this whole Voldemort thing.   
    Then Mel just shrugged and said it worries her a bit and then grinned and shrugged again.  
    So now I know why she's been all weird lately. And I wish I didn't, because I know she thinks about the McGonagall's a lot and worries that some Professor is going to pull her out of class someday. I wish there was some way I could make her not worry.  
            Always,  
                Alice

**Hogwarts**

    If there was a way to adequate transcribe maniacal laughter to paper, I'd be doing that now. I'm in the Hospital Wing. _THE HOSPITAL WING!!_ And you want to know why? Two words. James. Potter. Apparently he didn't take kindly to the inflation of his head… who'da thunk, eh? Anyway, the great prat decided he needed revenge, so he turned my hair green! And then purple! That would've been bad enough until he did the unthinkable. He messed with my homework. He could've turned my head into a pumpkin and I wouldn't have held a grudge but my Charms homework?!?! Oh no, that's when I decided that he was going down! He turned it into Swahili before I tuned it in. _Swahili!_ I don't _speak_ Swahili! To put the finally nail in his coffin, he flipped me upside down in the Common Room and I wound up displaying my knickers to everyone!  
    Oh, I did little things in retaliation, but tonight was the night of the final battle. I've been working on transfiguring my desk for ages now, because I thought it was so cool, but it wound up being useful, too. With a little help from Mel (since she was kind enough to help without all the meddlesome questions I would've gotten from the others) I turned my desk into a decent sized kimono dragon and set off to find James.   
    I never thought the sodding git would've had a similar idea. I found him on the landing at the top of the Stairs heading down to the Great Hall, holding a large iguana. As though an iguana would be any match for a kimono dragon. So, I yelled 'sic, James, dragon' (I really wasn't sure how to get it to bite him), when that didn't work, I hit it with a hex and it got mad and started to run at James. His iguana attacked me, my kimono dragon attacked him, hexes and curses flew everywhere… until they hit Professor McGonagall.   
    Anyway, ten minutes or so, countless hexes, one broken desk, one hurt teacher, two hurt and angry students, and one dead iguana later, here we are, in the Hospital Wing. Professor McGonagall just came in and lectures me and James. She took one hundred points from our House, so we're probably out of the running for the House Cup. Argh.   
    This is all Potter's fault.   
    Now I need a new desk.   
            Love from,  
                Lily

**Gryffindor**

    I'm going to snap. This is the most boring Transfiguration lesson in the history of magic. –R 

**Gryffindor**

    Thank Merlin, I thought neither of you would think to take out your diaries. Although I suspect Lily's lost hers again. –A 

    Again? –R

    Yes, she lost it for a bit back earlier in the term, but didn't want to tell either of us. She felt bad, I think. –A

    How stupid. We could help her look for it. –R

    Well, that's Lily. –A

    Becca? –A

    Sorry, trying to think of something to write about. Er… how's Frank? –R

    He's _your_ brother. –A

    Just trying to make conversation. Although, on that note, perhaps I'd rather not know exactly how Frank is. –R

    **Becca!** –A

    That was _not_ what I meant. –R 

    How's Alan? –A

    _How_ did you know about that? –R

    I didn't until just now. –A 

    Is that a wicked grin I see on your face. Hag. –R

    Now, now, Becca, that's not very ladylike. And I _didn't_ know until just now. –A

    You know, sometimes I hate you. –R

    I'll live. –A

    So…? –A

    So nothing. What're you doing for the summer? –R

    We've still got a week of May left! I'm not really worried about summer yet. –A

    So you've no idea? –R

    I'll probably baby sit. –A

    You baby sit? –R

    Yea, mum's friend's have got two kids. I think I mentioned them once. They've got two sons. –A

    You mentioned them? –R

    Yea, we went to the ballet with them. The Weasleys. –A

    How old are the kids? –R

    Why? –A

    Cause I'm bored and I've got nothing better to talk about. –R

    Right, well Bill is, let's see… four? Maybe… or five. No, I think he's five. And that would make Charlie three. Or two. They're two years apart, I think. Mrs. Weasley is pretty cool anyway. So what are you going to do? –A

    No idea. –R

    Well that's fun. –A

    Yup. Does Melody baby sit? –R

    No, she doesn't really have the patience. –A 

**Hogwarts**

    They took you again! Someday I'll get back at those boys. They still haven't managed my password. How dense are they? Really.   
    Well that's actually good for me.   
    Well, only two weeks left of school.   
    Professor McGonagall confiscated Becca and Alice's diaries since they were using them to chat during her lecture a few weeks ago.   
    I don't think I really want to go back to the Muggle world, I mean… I just fit in this one so much better.   
    Anyway, I'd best go study. Finals start tomorrow! Wish me luck, diary.   
            Love from,  
                Lily

**Hogwarts**

    Yes! I'm top girl of our year! _And_ I beat out that blasted Potter for all around top of Charms. That stupid git has no idea what he's up against.   
    We leave tomorrow after breakfast. I don't know how I'm going to stand it being away from everyone all summer. The others have such fun plans. Alice is going to be babysitting two little wizards all summer. Isn't that the oddest idea? I mean, what do little wizards do? I've never met a magical family with little kids that they know are magical? Do their stuffed bears talk? Do they have toy broomstick or something? How bizarre.   
    Becca and Frank are spending part of the summer in America visiting relatives and Melissa and Cortessa live right next door to one another. This is just going to be the most dreadful summer ever. No magic, no friends and far too much Petunia. Hopefully sometime during it we can all visit one another. Well, I'll see you in September Hogwarts.  
            Love from,   
                Lily

**Quidditch**

    Oh man. Mum sent an owl to me and Frank to tell us we're going to visit Minnatricia in New Jersey for most of the summer. Kill me. Kill me now, seriously _Avada Kedavra_ my butt into oblivion. Anything is more pleasant than a summer of Minnie. "Becca, this dress would look just darling on you." "Becca, you really should do something about that hair of yours." "Becca, you know, if you just tried a bit, you could be kind of pretty." "Becca!" "_Becca!_" "_**Becca!**_" I'm going to be completely nutters before we even get back to school. And what's worse is that my mum just loves Minnie and her favorite phrase is always, "Why can't you be more like Minnie?"   
    My mum is mentally disturbed.   
    Anyway, it's the last evening at Hogwarts. Lily and Alice are playing Wizard Chess and Alice is kicking her butt. Lily just doesn't know when to give up sometimes. Mel is reading some magazine and Tessa and some Second Year are talking over in the corner, I suppose he's possible boyfriend material for her next term.   
    McGonagall finally gave this dumb old diary back to me after the Transfiguration final. And then she lectured me. I hate lectures. And then when Alice and I (she was there picking up hers too, they got confiscated the same day a little over a month ago) walked out of the classroom, Lily started in on us. Ugh. I love her, but sometimes she just needs to shut up. Heh, speaking of which, Alice just won that chess match.   
    Oi, Frank just decided we need some 'twin time'… that's rarely ever good. I'll try to update you from the Hogwarts Express, if that doesn't work, I'll write again when it's officially summer vacation.  
            -Rebecca 

**Acid Pops**

    Well, we're nearly to London. I'm actually rather sad about that. I mean, I'm sure the summer will go quickly enough, but I'll miss everyone (especially the other Gryffindor Five and Frank) and the castle. I'll even miss the random tricks of the Marauders.   
    I think I'm going to go find Frank and say good-bye now. When I open you again, I'll be home… how odd.  
            Always,  
                Alice  


**_The End_**


End file.
